by Bill Bernico
“Can we see him?” I said.
“Briefly,” the doctor said. “He’ll need plenty of rest, so don’t stay too long.”
I shook the doctor’s hand and thanked him. He walked back toward the emergency room and disappeared behind two swing doors. Gloria sighed and hugged me.
“Thank goodness,” she said.
I walked back to the nurse’s station and asked which room they’d taken Elliott to and she directed me down the hall to room 213 on the right. When we opened the door, Elliott was stretched out flat on his back with a tube running from a bottle of liquid to a needle stuck in the top of his hand. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful. Gloria and I stepped up to his bed and she held his hand. Elliott opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Gloria. Then he saw me and faintly nodded.
“Dad,” he said to me.
“How are you feeling, Elliott?” I said.
His voice was faint but he managed, “I’ve been better.” He licked his lips and looked at Gloria. “Can I get a drink of water?”
Gloria poured a small glass of water from a pitcher on his bedside table and stuck a straw into the glass. She held the glass near his chin and Elliott sipped. Gloria pulled the glass away again and set it back on the table. Elliott let out a deep breath and then tried to breathe in again. He winced at the pain and stopped trying to breathe so deeply. He looked at Gloria again.
“Who were those guys?” Elliott said. “And what did I do to piss them off?”
“It wasn’t you,” Gloria said. “They just didn’t want either of us trying to help Leo Griffith.”
“Who?” Elliott said.
“Leo Griffith,” I said. “Apparently this Leo Griffith owed them some money and was trying to skip out on them and he expected you to help him get out of town.”
“And what’s wrong with a taxi?” Elliott said.
“That’s just what I said,” I told him. “I think they must have seen him going into your building the night before and just came back the next morning when they couldn’t find him. From the beating they gave you, I think it’s a safe assumption that they don’t want anyone helping him ducking out on his debt.”
“They don’t have to worry about that.” Elliott said. “I don’t want anything to do with Griffith or his playmates.”
“Good choice,” I told him. “We don’t need the business bad enough to risk our lives over it.”
“We?” Elliott said.
“Yeah,” I said. “Gloria and me, and you.”
“You’re back?” Elliott said.
“I wasn’t due to return for another week or so,” I said. “But I feel fine and with you laid up, Gloria’s going to need me. And to tell you the truth, if I had to spend one more day playing canasta with Mrs. Chandler, I’d eat my gun.”
Gloria gave me a strange look.
“Okay,” I said. “So I wouldn’t really eat my gun, but I might just jump out my window.”
“Your house is a single story ranch,” Gloria reminded him.
“Oh yeah,” I said.
Elliott winced again as he lay there trying to breathe shallow breaths.
I looked at Gloria. “We’d better get going. Elliott needs his rest.” I looked down at my son, my anger building up against the two thugs who’d done this to him. “We’ll come back and visit you again tomorrow. Try to get some rest.”
Gloria and I turned and left the room, walking down the hallway toward the exit.
“So that’s it?” Gloria said. “We’re going to just steer clear of this one?”
“Not on your life,” I said. “I’m going to get those bastards.”
“You mean we’re going to get them,” Gloria said.
We climbed into my car and I headed directly for the twelfth precinct. Dean was in a meeting but his secretary assured us that he was just finishing up and that he’d be out in just a few minutes. Gloria and I waited on a leather and chrome sofa in a reception area near his office.
“What about those thugs’ claim that they had someone inside the department?” Gloria said.
“It’s an easy claim to make and harder to prove,” I said. “I know for a fact that Dean isn’t in anyone’s hip pocket. We have to at least tell him what we know. At least it’ll give him a heads up in case someone in the department has turned rotten.”
Five minutes later a set of double doors opened and a dozen uniformed officers filed out and disbursed to different areas in the building. Dean was the last one out of the room. He was looking down at a form in his hand and kept walking. He looked up when he passed us and stopped, surprised to see me. He smiled and held his hand out.
“Clay,” he said cheerfully, “How are you doing?” He nodded at Gloria. “Gloria, always good to see you, too.”
“I’m fine,” I said. “Can we talk?”
“Sure,” Dean said, the smile dropping from his face. “What’s wrong?”
Dean led us into his office and invited us to sit. He took a seat behind his desk and looked at my face again. “Is everything all right?”
I shook my head. “It’s Elliott,” I said. “Two men worked him over this morning. He’s in the hospital.”
Dean sat straight up in his chair. “Is he going to be all right?” he said, genuinely concerned.
“He’s got a concussion and two broken ribs,” I told him, “But the doctor says he should make a full recovery in a week or so.”
Dean let out a deep breath. “Well, thank goodness for that, anyway. Tell me what happened?”
I told Dean the story that Gloria had relayed to me. She added a few details to what I said and when we’d finished Dean shook his head in disbelief.
“And they told this Griffith fellow that they had someone inside the department?” Dean said.
“That what Griffith told Gloria,” I said.
Gloria leaned in closer to Dean. “Is that possible?” she said. “Could they really have someone working here in the police department?”
“I don’t know,” Dean said. “But if there’s even a chance of that, I’ll find him and toss his sorry ass in jail with the general population. I’ll take care of that end, but what about finding the two thugs who worked Elliott over?”
“Like I told you,” I said. “They were both wearing ski masks, so identifying them is going to be difficult to say the least. I want to wait until Elliott’s stronger and has had a day or two to rest before I question him again.”
“You think he knows more that he thinks he knows?” Dean said.
“He’s a trained observer,” I said. “Like me and my dad. If there was anything about these two guys that could help shed some light on their identity, he’ll have it in his subconscious.”
“Where’s Leo Griffith?” Dean said. “He’s bound to know more than he told Gloria.”
“That’s where we’re going to start,” I told Dean. “I want to talk to this guy myself.”
“Keep me in the loop on this one, all right?” Dean said.
“That’s a given,” I said and left with Gloria.
As we drove out of the precinct parking lot, I asked Gloria to grab the Hollywood phone book that I kept in the seat pocket behind her seat. Once she had it in her lap I asked her to see if Griffith was listed in there. She flipped through the pages, slowing down in the G section. There were twenty-nine Griffith entries in the phone book, including Griffith Park Observatory and Griffith Mortuary. Of the remaining twenty-seven entries, only three began with L. There was a Lorraine Griffith on Pico Boulevard, an L. Griffith on Los Feliz and a Lance Griffith in North Hollywood but no Leo Griffith.
“Maybe he lives in another area,” Gloria said, “like Pasadena or even Santa Barbara, but probably someplace in the general vicinity.”
“And what you told me earlier,” I said. “That was all he gave you on the phone and in the office?”
“That’s it,” Gloria said. “Now what do we do?”
“Give me the number for the Los Angeles Times circulation department,”
I said.
Gloria found the number and kept her finger on it. I handed her my cell phone and told her to call it and tell whoever answered that you just moved and you wanted to make sure they have your current address. Have them read it back to you.”
“Why?” Gloria said. “I haven’t moved recently and I already know where I live.”
“No you don’t, Mrs. Griffith,” I said.
“Clever,” Gloria said. “Let’s see what they have to say.” She dialed the number and a young-sounding man answered. “Hello,” Gloria said. “Who am I speaking to?”
“Dennis Cleary,” the man said.”
“Dennis,” Gloria said, “we just moved and I want to make sure we’ll still get our paper. Could you verify that you have our current address, please? The name is Griffith, Leo Griffith.”
“Just a moment, please,” Cleary said. A moment later he came back on the line and said, “I’m showing that you are currently taking delivery at 457 West Maple Street in Glendale.”
“Thank you, Dennis,” Gloria said. “That is the correct address. You’ve been most helpful.” Gloria hung up and wrote the address down on the inside flap of the phone book. She turned to me. “Now that’s using your noggin.”
I drove east on Hollywood Boulevard, turning north on Western Avenue until it turned into Los Feliz. I took that east into Glendale and turned north again onto South Central Avenue. Maple Street was another eight blocks north. The house was a blue-gray stucco affair with a red Spanish tile roof. I parked at the curb and the two of us walked up the winding red brick walk and ascended five stairs to the front door. I rang the bell and waited. I could hear slight movement inside but no one was coming to open the front door. I tried the bell again and then knocked on the screen door frame and stepped back to wait.
Curtains on the front door parted slightly and then fell back into place. A second later the front door opened an inch and a man peered out at us. “Yes?” he said.
“Leo Griffith?” I said.
“Who are you?” he said and then looked over at Gloria. He must have recognized her because the door swung all the way open and he told us to hurry up and come inside. He closed the door quickly again, peering out once more beside the curtain.
“Mr. Griffith,” Gloria said. “You remember me? You came to our office last night looking for help.”
He looked at Gloria and paused, pointing a finger in the air, as if trying to remember. “Miss Candle, isn’t it?”
“That’s Campbell,” Gloria said. “You came to us looking for help in getting out of town. What are you still doing here?”
“I think they’re watching the place,” Griffith said. “I’m trapped in here. Are you going to help me get out of town or not?”
“No one’s going anywhere,” I said, “until I get some answers.”
Griffith got nervous and started pacing. There was a noise outside and he startled, looking toward his front door. I looked out through the curtains and only saw a paper boy throwing papers on the neighborhood porches.
“Relax,” I said. “It’s just the paper boy. Now how about if we all sit down and see if we can’t work this thing out?”
Griffith reluctantly sat but kept looking toward his front door every now and then.
“Do you mind if I call you Leo?” I said. He said he didn’t mind. I gave him my name and then started in with my questions. “All right, Leo. Who are the two guys who are after you? Let’s start there.”
“Huh?” Leo said.
“The two guys,” I repeated. “Do you know who they are?”
“They’re probably two of Mercer’s men,” Leo said.
“And who is this Mercer?” Gloria said.
“Ray Mercer,” Leo said. “He’s kind of a financial assistant, if you know what I mean? You can borrow money from him when you run short.”
“A loan shark,” I said. “And those two goons who are after you are from his collections department, right?”
Leo hung his head but managed a weak nod.
“Well,” I said, “those two goons just beat my son to within an inch of his life this morning.”
Leo looked up at me, alarm in his face. “Oh, Mr. Cooper,” Leo said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for anyone else to get hurt. But now you know the kind of men I’m talking about. I have to get out of town now. Can you help me or not?”
“I’ll make a deal with you, Leo,” I said.
“Anything,” Leo said, desperate now for any assistance from anyone. He was truly scared.
“You give me the names of those two animals,” I said. “And tell me where I can find them and we’ll get you out of town safely. But once we drop you off, you’re on your own. Is it a deal?”
“If Mercer finds out,” Leo said, “he’ll kill me himself.”
“So let’s make sure he doesn’t find out then,” Gloria said. “Now, let’s have the names of those two.”
Leo looked around the room, as if someone was watching him even now and then turned to me. “The bigger of the two is a guy named Freddy Barnett and the other guy is Marvin Granger,” Leo said. “They’re both armed, but usually don’t use their weapons. They seem to get a kick out of beating people with their hands and feet.”
I gave Leo my notepad and a pen. “Write down on there some place where you know they’ll be and when. And while you’re at it, give me Mercer’s info, too.”
Leo hesitated, weighed his options and then gave me what I asked for. “When they’re not banging heads together, they both work at that auto repair shop south of here.” He gestured toward the notepad that he’d just written the information on.
I passed the notepad and pen to Gloria. “Hang on to these for me,” I said.
“What about me?” Leo said.
“Pack your stuff,” I said. “We’re all leaving here right now. Let’s go.”
“Where?” Leo said.
“Where would you be safe?” I said. “Within reason. I’m not driving you to Omaha.”
Leo thought for a moment. “Could you take me as far as Santa Clarita?” he said. “I have a sister there who’ll put me up.”
I thought for a second.
“Come on,” Leo said. “It’s only thirty or thirty-five miles and it would save my life.”
I looked at Gloria and nodded. I turned to Leo. “Get your suitcase. We’re leaving in two minutes, with or without you.”
Leo threw a few things in the suitcase and waited at the front door.
“Is there an alley behind this house?” I said.
“No,” Leo said. “My back yard butts up against the parking garage for the apartment building around the block. But my driveway goes all the way back to my back door.”
“Great,” I said and turned to Gloria. “Stay with him. I’ll bring the car up the driveway and meet you both at the back door.”
Gloria nodded and I hurried outside and slid behind the wheel again. I backed my car up into Leo’s driveway and stopped at his back door, pressing the release button for my trunk lid. Leo came out and hoisted his suitcase into the trunk, slamming it closed again and then crawling into my back seat and lying down below the window level. Gloria got in alongside me and I pulled out of the driveway and turned west on Maple. I dipped south for half a block and caught San Fernando Road north to the onramp for the Golden State Freeway north. When we were a couple of miles from Leo’s house he relaxed a bit and sat up in the back seat.
“Thanks a lot, Mr. Cooper,” Leo said. “You saved my life.”
“And I also know where to find you if your information is phony,” I said. “If you’re sending me on some wild goose chase, you can expect a visit from your two buddies. If I can catch up with them first, you’re in the clear, unless Mercer sends two replacements after you. The best advice I can give you is to somehow come up with what you owe him and pay him. It’s just that simple.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Leo said.
It took me thirty eight minutes to find the address in Sa
nta Clarita. I dropped Leo at the curb and pressed my trunk release button. He retrieved his suitcase and set in on the sidewalk. I looked out past Gloria and told him to stay put. He agreed and walked up the sidewalk to the house where his sister greeted him at the door. I pulled away again and headed back toward Hollywood.
“What are you going to do if you catch up with Barnett and Granger?” Gloria said.
“I’ll give them a dose of what they gave Elliott,” I said, “with interest.”
“Remember your heart, Clay,” Gloria said. “You know what the doctor said about excess strain.”
“Well,” I said, “then I’ll just have to make every hit count, won’t I?”
Gloria tried to hide the concern in her face and looked out her window. She’d never forgive herself if she let Clay go ahead with his revenge and something happened to him.
“Are you going after them right now?” Gloria said.
“No,” I said. “I’ll wait until tonight. It’s easier to slip around in the dark. They won’t know I’m coming until it’s too late.”
“Then drop me at my house,” Gloria said. “I have a few things I need to do. I can’t hang around all day waiting for darkness. You can pick me up later, or I can meet you back at the office.”
“Be ready to move at seven-thirty,” I said. “I’ll want some extra time to find a spot to watch them from and plan my attack.”
“I’ll be ready,” Gloria said.
Half an hour later I dropped Gloria at her house and then drove back to the office. I needed some time to cool down. I couldn’t afford any mistakes on a job like this.
As soon as Clay had driven out of sight, Gloria hurried into her house and packed a few things that she knew she’d need. She brought these items out to her car, opened her purse and found Clay’s notepad. The page Leo had written on had the name of a car repair shop on it. She checked her cell phone and accessed the Internet, locating the repair shop in just a few seconds. She wrote the address down on the notepad next to the two names that Leo had provided. Then she entered a search for Freddy Barnett and Marvin Granger. Both of them had several hits that also provided a photo of each man. Gloria studied the photos until she had both faces memorized. She closed the phone and backed out of her driveway.
