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Emmett caught my eye and winked。 〃Bucky； you are in for a cruel caricaturing。 Martha's pencil never flinches。 Nineteen years old she is； and a high…paid mercial artist already。 Maddy's my pretty one； but Martha's my certified genius。〃
Martha winced。 She placed her plate directly across from me and sat down； arraying a pencil and a small sketch pad beside her napkin。 Ramona Sprague took the adjoining seat and patted her arm； Emmett； standing by his chair at the head of the table； proposed a toast： 〃To new friends； prosperity and the great sport of boxing。〃
I said； 〃Amen；〃 forked a slice of corned beef into my mouth and chewed it。 It was fatty and dry； but I put on a yum…yum face and said； 〃This is delicious。〃
Ramona Sprague gave me a blank look； Emmett said； 〃Lacey； our maid； believes in voodoo。 Some sort of Christian variation on it。 She probably put a spell on the cow； made a pact with her nigger Jesus so the beast would be nice and juicy。 Speaking of our colored brethren； how did it feel to shoot those two jigaboos； Bucky？〃
Madeleine whispered； 〃Humor him。〃
Emmett caught the aside and chuckled。 〃Yes； lad； humor me。 In fact； you should humor all rich men pushing sixty。 They might go senile and confuse you with their heirs。〃
I laughed； exposing my choppers； Martha reached for her pencil to capture them。 〃I didn't feel much of anything。 It was them or us。〃
〃And your partner？ That blond lad you fought last year？〃
〃Lee took it a bit harder than I did。〃
Emmett said； 〃Blonds are overly sensitive。 Being one； I know。 Thank God I've two brownies in the family to keep us pragmatic。 Maddy and Ramona have that bulldog tenacity that Martha and I lack。〃
Only the food I was chewing kept me from braying outright。 I thought of the spoiled sewer crawler I was going to screw later that night and her mother smiling numbly across the table from me。 The impulse to laugh came on stronger and stronger； I finally got my mouthful swallowed； belched instead of howled and raised my glass。 〃To you； Mr。 Sprague。 For making me laugh for the first time in a week。〃
Ramona gave me a disgusted look； Martha concentrated on her artwork。 Madeleine played footsie with me under the table and Emmett toasted me back。 〃Rough week you had； lad？〃
I laughed。 〃In spades。 I've been detached to Homicide to work on the Black Dahlia thing。 My days off have been cancelled； my partner's obsessed with it； and the crazies have been ing out of the woodwork。 There's two hundred cops working a single case。 It's absurd。〃
Emmett said； 〃It's tragic； is what it is。 What's your theory； lad？ Who on God's earth could have done a thing like that to another human being？〃
I knew then that the family didn't know about Madeleine's tenuous connection to Betty Short； and decided not to press for her alibi。 〃I think it's a random job。 The Short girl was what you might call easy。 She was a pulsive liar with a hundred boyfriends。 If we get the killer； it'll be a fluke。〃
Emmett said； 〃God bless her； I hope you get him and I hope he gets a hot date with that little green room up at San Quentin。〃
Running her toes up my leg； Madeleine pouted； 〃Daddy； you're monopolizing the conversation and you're making Bucky sing for his supper。〃
〃Shall I sing for mine； lassie？ Even though I'm the breadwinner？〃
Old Man Sprague was angry…I could see it in his rising color and the way he hacked at his corned beef。 Curious about the man； I said； 〃When did you e to the United States？〃
Emmett beamed。 〃I'll sing for anyone who wants to hear my immigrant success story。 What kind of name is Bleichert？ Dutch？〃
〃German；〃 I said。
Emmett raised his glass。 〃A great people； the Germans。 Hitler was a bit excessive； but mark my words that someday we'll regret not joining forces with him to fight the Reds。 Where in Germany are your people from； lad？〃
〃Munich。〃
〃Ah； München！ I'm surprised they left。 If I'd grown up in Edinburgh or some other civilized place I'd still be wearing kilts。 But I came from godawful Aberdeen； so I came to America right after the first war。 I killed a lot of your fine German countrymen during that war； lad。 But they were trying to kill me； so I felt justified。 Did you meet Balto out in the parlor？〃
I nodded； Madeleine groaned； Ramona Sprague winced and speared a potato。 Emmett said； 〃My old dreamer friend Georgie Tilden taxidermied him。 Scads of odd talents dreamer Georgie had。 We were in a Scots regiment together during the war； and I saved Georgie's life when a bunch of your fine German countrymen got obstreperous and charged us with bayonets。 Georgie was enamored of the flickers； he loved a good nickelodeon show。 We went back to Aberdeen after the armistice； saw what a dead dog town it was； and Georgie persuaded me to e to California with him…he wanted to work in the silent flicker business。 He was never worth a damn unless I was there to lead him around by the snout； so I looked around Aberdeen； saw that it was a third…class destiny and said； 'Aye； Georgie； California it is。 Maybe we'll strike rich。 And if we don't； we'll fail where the sun always shines。'〃
I thought of my old man； who came to America in 1908 with big dreams…but married the first German emigrant woman he met and settled for wage slavery with Pacific Gas and Electric。 〃What happened then？〃
Emmett Sprague rapped the table with his fork。 〃Knock wood； it was the right time to arrive。 Hollywood was a cow pasture； but the silents were moving into their heyday。 Georgie got work as a lighting man； and I found work building damn good houses…damn good and cheap。 I lived outdoors and put every damn good dime back into my business； then took out loans from every bank and shylock willing to lend money and bought damn good property…damn good and cheap。 Georgie introduced me to Mack Sennett； and I helped him build sets out at his studio in Edendale； then touched him for a loan to buy more property。 Old Mack knew a lad on the make when he saw one； being one himself。 He gave me the loan on the proviso that I help him with that housing project he was putting up… Hollywoodland…underneath that godawful hundred…foot sign he erected on Mount Lee to ballyhoo it。 Old Mack knew how to squeeze a dollar dry； he did。 He had extras moonlighting as laborers and vice versa。 I'd drive them over to Hollywoodland after ten or twelve hours on a Keystone Kops flicker； and we'd put in another six hours by torchlight。 I even got an assistant director's credit on a couple of movies； old Mack was so grateful for the way I squeezed his slaves。〃
Madeleine and Ramona were picking at their food with sullen faces； like they'd been captive audiences to the story before； Martha was still drawing； staring intently at me； her captive。 〃What happened to your friend？〃 I asked。
〃God bless him； but for every story of success there's a corresponding one of failure。 Georgie didn't butter up the right people。 He didn't have the drive to plement his God…given talent； and he just fell by the wayside。 He was disfigured in a car crash back in '36； and now he's what you might call a never was。 I give him odd jobs tending some of my rental property and he does s