It was all downhill to the right, and I moved at a pretty good pace.’ I must have been over two blocks away when I saw the headlights sweep out of Jennings’ driveway.
I had one thought only: to get off the road into some kind of cover. It was too dark to see anything; it was just luck that I picked a spot where there was no canyon. But there was a hill, and I pitched forward into the dry grass and went sliding on my sore belly down a hill only a few degrees short of perpendicular. And then I heard a dog barking, and I saw the lights below, and everything got hazy for a while.
I’d stepped off the road just short of a hairpin turn, and this was the house on the road below. I never would have made it if I’d gone the long way around because the headlights of Jennings’ car swept past above as I tumbled into the backyard of his nearest neighbor.
I heard someone shouting to the dog and the backyard floodlights went on as I lay there, fighting to stay clear and conscious. Then a dog’s cold nose was nuzzling my face and I called out and there was the shadow of a man above me, and I managed to say, “Phone the police. Quick.”
He called my words back toward the house and then bent over me. “Can you get up? Are you able to walk?”
I made it to the house with his help, and there he helped me stretch out on a davenport in his big living room. My mouth was bleeding from Lenny’s elbow punch and the eye he’d caught was closing.
The man above me was pale, now. “Migawd, your face is a mess.”
“You should see my belly,” I said, and closed my eyes.
The men who came were from the West Los Angeles station and I didn’t know either of the detectives nor the prowl-car pair. The ambulance came after that and the interne took one look at my battered stomach and went out for the stretcher.
By this time, I’d told the detectives about Jennings and Jelko and Lenny and asked them to get in touch with Captain McGill of the Hollywood station. Then I pretended to be a hell of a lot worse than I was and answered the rest of their questions in a pseudo-hysterical gibberish.
I didn’t need a hospital, but I wanted time to think. And the bump Lenny’s sap had raised on the back of my skull was enough to make the interne consider the possibility of a concussion. He cut the detective’s questioning short.
At the hospital, after the examination, they gave me a sedative. I needed that about as much as another bump on the head. I was asleep in five minutes.
A nurse brought me a paper in the morning, and I had front page publicity. Jelko was identified as a prominent movie star and Jennings as a prominent local attorney. I was not called prominent, but the victim of a “brutal assault and kidnapping.”
The police, according to the paper, were at a loss for any motivation for the action of either Jelko or Jennings. At first, they had denied the charges, but the vomit on the floor of the den, the broken mirror and the doorknob found near where I’d slid down the bank had nailed them. They’d refused to answer any questions after this evidence was brought up.
Around eight, I had breakfast. Milk toast.
At nine, Captain Enoch McGill made his appearance, accompanied by Veber. He smiled and Veber smiled and then McGill sat down cozily on the chair next to the bed and Veber leaned against the wall near the door.
McGill said, “Rough time you’ve had, laddie. And you asked for me. Going to come clean, are you?”
I closed my eyes as though a great shooting pain had flashed through my skull. Sympathy, I wanted now. In a low, forced voice, I said, “Come clean? That was my trouble, Captain. I was too clean, too ethical.”
Veber coughed, and I looked his way. His face was blank.
McGill said, “Veber’s always been a cynic.”
“Most cops are,” I said. “On his pay, I’d be cynical, too.”
Veber smiled, saying nothing. One of Manny’s pals, Veber was.
I said, “I think it goes back to the Condor case, but I can’t be sure. And as soon as I’m up and around, Captain, I intend to work on that angle further.” I took a deep breath. “For free.”
McGill nodded. He looked sympathetic, but he’s got a lot of ham in him. His eyes didn’t leave my face.
I forced my tired voice again. “I wouldn’t want this angle given any publicity in the papers because it might tip off the man I’m looking for. You can handle that, can’t you, Captain?”
He nodded. “Who are you looking for?”
“Deutscher.”
McGill looked at Veber and Veber’s face remained blank. I wondered if they’d found Deutscher.
McGill said, “Why Deutscher?”
“I think he was guilty of subornation. I think he bribed Target and Josie Gonzales to testify his way in the Bea Condor case.”
Veber smiled and shook his head. “You think—? Give us something new, Joe.”
I stared at Veber for seconds and then said, “I gave Captain McGill something new the other day. I told him that I’d heard Jennings was mishandling Rickett’s money. Somewhere in the department, there was a leak. And I wind up in the hospital.”
Veber stared back. “Are you suggesting that I—”
“You,” I said, “or somebody like you, some cheap cynic who—”
Veber took a step my way and McGill said sharply, “That will be enough, Sergeant. You can wait in the hall.”
Veber went out. McGill said, “You just don’t like policemen, do you?”
“We have a mutual animosity pact,” I said. “I never liked Veber, I’ll admit. But I liked Manny until he fell for that prostitute and started to get into my hair. I wanted Veber out of here, though. Because I want you to co-operate with me, Captain.”
He didn’t say anything, but he looked receptive.
I said, “I don’t want any of this tied up to the Condor case in the newspapers until I find Deutscher. I’ve got to clear myself of the rumours running through the police department about my part in that case. My professional standing depends on it.”
McGill nodded and took a breath. “The papers will want some kind of story.”
“I’ve got one,” I said, “that can be leaked out of the Department. I was investigating a big, money-making promotional deal and Jennings was representing competing interests who tried to force the information out of me. That will add up because I did have a little investigation job for a clique of investors in town only a week back. The information is in and the land has been bought, so it won’t hurt anybody if the leak’ comes now.”
McGill, I could see, was giving it a lot of thought, looking for the angle. Finally, he asked, “Who told you about Jennings mishandling Rickett’s money?”
“Deutscher.”
A long silence in the room, and then McGill said, “So Deutscher knew about it and didn’t tell us.”
“I guess, Captain. Anyway, he had his suspicions. Now about that fight I had with Jelko at the nightclub—I was drunk that night, and I may have mentioned to Jelko that I was suspicious of Jennings. I can’t remember much of the evening, but it could have happened. That’s why he must have slugged me there, to scare me off that line of investigation.”
McGill nodded. “Well, we’ll have reason enough to examine his books, now. I’ll see that no bail is set. And this Jelko is a friend of Little Phil’s too, isn’t he? That seems to tie Little Phil in with Jennings.” He paused. “And Bea Condor.”
“I intend to investigate that,” I said. “I think I can do more, unofficially, than the Department can do officially, right now. Little Phil keeps pretty well covered, but I might make a deal with him.”
McGill was chewing his lower lip, looking out across the room. “I sure as hell would like to get the true story on that Bea Condor kill. She was a real, sweet kid. It’s a case I never gave up on, Joe.”
Which I knew. I took a deep breath, grimaced, and closed my eyes. “Captain, my stomach is killing me again. I’ll have to rest a little, I guess.” I clenched both hands. “It hurts so much to talk.”
His voice was kind. “Sure. You c
ome over and make your statement on this. I can get it transferred to our office. Soon as you’re well, you drop over. And in the meantime, I’ll see that other story gets out, about the investment clique. We’ll work together on this, won’t we, Joe?”
“That’s a promise, Captain,” I whispered.
He rose, smiled down at me and waved. “All the luck, Joe.” He went out, closing the door quietly behind him.
I should have had an Academy Award for that one. I’d get ink on the investment angle, now, and that could be used as ammunition to put the heat to Willi. I’d taken an awful beating, but now it wasn’t completely wasted.
Jennings might talk about his pay-off in the Condor case, but the money had gone to Deutscher and then to me. And now, if he claimed I’d done the paying off, McGill would think back to this conversation and realize I’d already mentioned that angle—and denied it. Jennings hadn’t ever figured I’d run to the law. This had thrown him way off stride.
And by the time he thought his way out of it, I’d be on the road with the boodle. But Willi would have to be hurried along. It was only luck that Deutscher’s body hadn’t been discovered by now. And if some cop got to Josie and broke her down .…
I dozed until lunch. Lunch was poached eggs.
And after lunch, Jean came. “You poor darling,” she said. “What in the world happened? I’ve been trying to get in all morning.” Her perfume came to me as she bent to kiss my forehead.
“Jelko,” I said. “He must have smelled out the fact that we were on the trail of a dollar. So he went to Jennings with it. They didn’t get anything out of me, don’t worry.”
Her fingers were light on my cheek. “You didn’t talk? They didn’t beat anything out of you?”
“Nothing but some blood and some digested food.”
“Oh, Joe, Joe, Joe—You’re trouble’s child, aren’t you?”
“I guess. It wasn’t entirely wasted though. I told the police that it was because of some investigation work I’d been doing for an investment clique.”
She looked at me wonderingly. “Joe, that wasn’t bright.”
“Wasn’t it? It will be in the papers. Willi can read, can’t she? It will look like there are other powerful groups interested in the same land the Nevada Investment Company has options on.”
Jean started to smile. “Joe, you’re a genius. You thought of that angle, sick as you were? Lordy, that’s brilliant.”
“I’m not the dumbest guy in the world, you know.”
“I’ll testify to that. How are you? How soon will you be leaving?”
“I can leave now, if the x-rays are okay. They x-rayed my noodle. You’ve got your car, haven’t you?”
She nodded and smiled. “And that will save you taxi fare. Oh, Joe, don’t you ever stop figuring?”
“I never had a chance to,” I said and reached for her hand. “Until now.”
The smile went away and she stared at me quietly. Then after a few seconds, she stood up. “It’s warm in here. Do you have to keep that window shut?”
I shook my head, watching her. Her face was flushed. She went over and opened the window and I saw the window box with the flowers in it.
“Geraniums,” she said. “They must be the municipal flower.”
“The geranium jungle, as McGill calls it. But he’s a bitter man.”
“He was right about that, though. I’ll see if I can find someone in authority around here.” She went out without looking back.
She’d seemed embarrassed, just because I’d held her hand and said something tender. A lot of men must have done that, but maybe I was more important to her than the others. I hoped so. She was still the key to the mint, for me.
She got results in a hurry. The x-rays were okay and the resident MD agreed I was ready to go. When I got up to dress, I got the first glimpse of my battered face. The bad lip was worse than it had ever been and my right eye was just a slit in the blue-brown flesh around it. My suit had been sponged, but there was still the faint odor of vomit on it. I couldn’t bend because of my stomach, or take long steps but a lot of the soreness was gone.
Jean paid the bill, and went ahead to get the car from the parking lot. The reporters and photographers caught me on the steps in front. I told them very little and explained that I was under police orders to reveal nothing. But when the time came, I assured them, some of the biggest names in town would be involved. But we “had to be sure who was innocent and who was guilty before we named any names.
Reporters in this town are bound to be cynical, but my face was battered enough to make the double-talk sound half reasonable. They took it straight and took their pictures and went away before Jean came back.
She said, “I saw them and decided to wait. If you’re going to be a reformed character in Willi’s mind, it would be better if she didn’t see a picture of us together.”
The sun was out. It was a beautiful afternoon.
Jean said, “I wish Willi would get back. This idea of yours could be the clincher.”
“I’d like to talk it over with your dad,” I said. “He’ll have some angles he’ll want to tie into it. How’s he been acting?”
“Nice enough to make me suspicious. I don’t think he intends to cut us in, Joe, unless he can’t do anything else.”
“We’ll have to see that he can’t do anything else, then. You and I will have to maintain a good two-way communication the day he picks up the money.”
“We certainly will. I must sound like some monster, plotting against my own father.”
“In defense,” I pointed out. “Most daughters don’t have to protect themselves against their fathers. We’re not going to hook him out of his share.” I paused. “Oh are we?”
Her laugh was low. “You’ve been thinking of it, I see.”
“I was thinking,” I said, “that we could leave town, get married in Las Vegas and see the world.”
Silence, and I looked over to see her face grave, her eyes steady on the traffic ahead. “You’d marry a girl with my reputation, Joe?”
“Not unless you’d marry a man with mine.”
Her voice shook a little. “This is kind of sudden.”
I put a hand on her knee. “Not for me. Don’t you like the sound of it?”
She nodded. “But don’t get me all riled, now. You’re in no shape for romance at the moment.”
I took my hand away and lighted a cigarette. I wanted her on my side these next couple of days. She could pretend to mistrust her father but blood was still thicker than water. But if I was a potential husband, that balanced the scale in my favor a little more. With Deutscher out of it, I needed somebody on my side for sure in this steal.
That big Chrysler moved along Santa Monica Boulevard, gliding in and out of the traffic, purring in her expensive way. This was the life, a big car and a warm blonde. But if I had the money all to myself, I could get a car like this. And a lot of blondes.
In front of my rat-trap, she stopped the car, but didn’t turn off the motor.
“Don’t you want to come in for a while?” I asked.
She smiled. “Don’t brag. You’re in bad shape, tough guy. I’ve got to do some shopping.” She made a face. “For my trousseau.”
“Get some black nighties,” I suggested. “We’ll have a time, won’t we?”
“I can’t see why not,” she said and patted my cheek gently. “Take care of yourself.”
That was one thing I’d been doing for years. I went slowly up the walk to my dump. The place smelled of dust and yesterday’s cooking. I opened all the windows and lay down on the davenport. I tried to doze but there were too many things chasing around in my skull. Deutscher still not found and Jennings with time to figure some angles for a deal with the police and Jelko’s hint that he knew Deutscher wasn’t out of town. All of these things could work to a head, and McGill would begin to piece the puzzle together.
The quicker I got out of town, the better. But I wasn’t going to be able to make th
at move until Willi got back from ’Frisco.
I got up and took off my jacket, emptying the pockets. There was a stiffness in one of the outside pockets, as though something had been spilled in it. Then I remembered that’s where I’d put that handkerchief. That was Deutscher’s blood. I don’t think they could prove anything by blood, but I didn’t put the suit in the closet where I might forget to take it to the cleaners.
I used the tub instead of the shower and soaked in the hot water for a long time. My stomach was red as a rose. Steam filled the room and my nerves quieted and the pictures stopped chasing through my brain.
It would be something, living high on the hog with Jean, but it was a thought I meant to get rid of. She had the body to make me forget all the others I’d known, but I’d never been flush enough before to know any expensive bodies. She wasn’t going to be any part of my future, once I had the money.
I took my time dressing and then bundled up the dirty suit and took it along with me. I dropped it off at a twenty-four hour cleaner and headed for the Hollywood station. Veber was out in front, talking to a uniformed officer as I stepped out of the Chev, and he gave me a long, hard look.
I ignored it. If he hadn’t had ten thousand cops behind him, I’d have pulled his hat down over his ears. But if he hadn’t had ten thousand cops behind him, he wouldn’t have given me the look.
In the hallway, leading to McGill’s office, I met another of the boys, Manny Rodriguez. He didn’t give me any look. He was very careful about it, looking at the opposite wall as he passed. Manny knew me better than Veber.
I knocked on the door of McGill’s office, and his voice said, “Come in,” and I went in.
There was a detective I knew only slightly standing next to the desk. McGill had evidently been talking to him and I’d interrupted the conversation.
“Came to make that statement,” I said.
He nodded and looked back at the detective. “I guess that’s all. And tell Marvin to come in, will you, and bring his notebook?”
The other man nodded and went out.
McGill indicated a chair, and I took it. He looked at me thoughtfully for a second before saying, “Jennings is doing quite a bit of talking, and some of it concerns you.”
Shakedown Page 11
