按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
I couldn't answer； Kay did it for me。 〃I didn't think so。 I'll finish up； and you tell me if you still want revenge。
〃The Short thing happened then； and Lee latched on to it for his little sister and who knows what else。 He was terrified that Fitch had already talked to Bobby； that Bobby knew about the frame。 He wanted to kill him or have him killed； and I begged and pleaded with him to just let it be； no one would believe Bobby； so just don't hurt anybody else。 If it wasn't for that fucking dead girl I might have convinced him。 But the case went down to Mexico； and so did Bobby and Lee and you。 I knew that the fairy tale was over。 And it is。〃
FIRE AND ICE COPS KO NEGRO THUGS
SOUTHSIDE SHOOTOUT…COPS： 4； HOODLUMS： 0
FOUR HOPHEADS SLAIN BY BOXER…POLICEMEN IN
BLOODY LA GUN BATTLE
Limp all over； I started to stand up； Kay grabbed my belt with both hands and brought me back down。 〃No！ You don't pull the patented Bucky Bleichert retreat this time！ Bobby took pictures of me with animals； and Lee stopped it。 He pimped me to his friends and hit me with a razor strap； and Lee stopped it。 He wanted to love me； not fuck me； and he wanted us to be together； and if you weren't so intimidated by him you would have known it。 We can't drag his name down。 We have to give it all up and forgive him and get on with just us and…〃
I retreated then； before Kay destroyed the rest of the triad。
* * *
Triggerman。
Stooge。
Bumfuck detective too blind to clear the case he was a homicide accessory to。
The weak point in a fairy tale triangle。
Best friend to a cop…bank robber； now the keeper of his secrets。
〃Give it all up。〃
I stuck to my apartment for the next week； killing off the remainder of my 〃vacation。〃 I hit the heavy bag and skipped rope and listened to music； I sat on the back steps and took finger sights at blue jays perching on my landlady's clothesline。 I convicted Lee of four homicides connected to the Boulevard…Citizens bank job and granted him a pardon based on homicide number five…himself。 I thought of Betty Short and Kay until they blurred together； I reconstructed the partnership as a mutual seduction and figured out that I lusted for the Dahlia because I had her number； that I loved Kay because she had mine。
And I examined the past six months。 It was all there：
The money Lee had been spending in Mexico was probably a separate stash of robbery swag。
On New Year's Eve I heard him weeping； Baxter Fitch had made his blackmail demand a few days before。
That fall； Lee had sought out Benny Siegel…in private… every time we went to the fights at the Olympic； he was trying to talk him into killing Bobby De Witt。
Right before the shoot…out； Lee had spoken on the phone to a snitch…allegedly about Junior Nash。 The 〃snitch〃 had fingered Fitch and the Negros； and Lee came back to the car looking spooked。 Ten minutes later four men were dead。
On the night I met Madeleine Sprague； Kay shouted at Lee： 〃After all that might happen〃…a portentous line； probably her predicting disaster with Bobby De Witt。 During our time working the Dahlia case； she had been jittery； morose； concerned for Lee's well…being； yet weirdly accepting of his lunatic behavior。 I thought she was upset over Lee's obsession with Betty Short's murder； she was really running toward and from the fairy tale's finale。
It was all there。
〃Give it all up。〃
When my refrigerator was empty； I took the patented Bucky Bleichert retreat down to the market to stock up。 Walking in； I saw a box boy reading the local section of the morning Herald。 Johnny Vogel's picture was at the bottom of the page； I looked over the kid's shoulder and saw that he'd been dismissed from the LAPD on a graft whitewash。 A column over； Ellis Loew's name caught my eye…Bevo Means was quoting him that 〃The Elizabeth Short investigation is no longer my raison d'etre…I have more pertinent fish to fry。〃 I forgot all about food； and drove to West Hollywood。
It was recess。 Kay was in the middle of the schoolyard； supervising kids flopping around in a sandbox。 I watched her awhile from the car； then walked over。
The kids noticed me first。 I flashed my teeth at them until they started laughing。 Kay turned around then。 I said； 〃It's the patented Bucky Bleichert advance。〃
Kay said； 〃Dwight〃； the kids looked at us like they knew it was a big moment。 Kay caught on a second later。 〃Did you e here to tell me something？〃
I laughed； the kids chortled at another shot of my choppers。 〃Yeah。 I decided to give it all up。 Will you marry me？〃
Kay； expressionless； said； 〃And we'll bury the rest of it？ The f…ing dead girl too？〃
〃Yes。 Her too。〃
Kay stepped into my arms。 〃Then yes。〃
We embraced。 The children called out； 〃Miss Lake's got a boyfriend； Miss Lake's got a boyfriend！〃
* * *
We were married three days later； May 2； 1947。 It was a rush job； the vows given by the LAPD Protestant chaplain； the service held in the backyard of Lee Blanchard's house。 Kay wore a pink dress to satirize her lack of virginity； I wore my blue dress uniform。 Russ Millard was best man； and Harry Sears came along as a guest。 He started out with a stutter； and for the first time I saw that it was precisely his fourth drink that quashed it。 I got the old man out of the rest home on a pass； and he didn't know who the hell I was； but seemed to have a good time anyway…swigging from Harry's flask； goosing Kay； hopping around to the music from the radio。 There was a table laid out with sandwiches and punch； hard and soft。 The six of us ate and drank； and total strangers walking down to the Strip heard the music and laughter and crashed the party。 By dusk the yard was filled with people I didn't know； and Harry made a run to the Hollywood Ranch Market for more food and booze。 I unloaded my service revolver and let the unknown civilians play with it； and Kay danced polkas with the chaplain。 When darkness hit； I didn't want it to end； so I borrowed strings of Christmas lights from the neighbors and strung them over the backdoor and the clothesline and Lee's favorite Yucca tree。 We danced and drank and ate under a fake constellation； the stars red and blue and yellow。 Around 2：00 A。M。； the clubs on the Strip let out； revelers from the Trocadero and Mocambo made the scene； and Errol Flynn hung around for a while； his tux coat doffed for my jacket； replete with badge and pistol medals。 If it weren't for the thunderstorm that struck； it might have gone on forever…and I wanted it to。 But the crowd broke up amidst frantic kisses and hugs； and Russ drove the old man back to the rest bin。 Kay Lake Bleichert and I retired to the bedroom to make love； and I left the radio on to help distract me from Betty Short。 It wasn't necessary…she never crossed my mind。
III
Kay and Madeleine
CHAPTER TWENTY…FIVE
Time passed。 Kay and I worked and played at being a young married couple。
After our quickie San Francisco honeymoon； I returned to what remained of my police career。 Thad Green talked turkey to me： he admired what I did with the Vogels；