Water Dictatorship Part 6

"Thank you Mr. Marlowe." Angelo said.

"There's a condition, of course." Marlowe added.

"What's that?"

"You answer one of my questions for every one of yours I answer."

"Sounds fair." Angelo admitted.

"Fine. You first." Marlowe gestured Angelo ahead.

"When did you meet Randi?"

"Two years ago at an industry meeting. The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. When did you meet her?"

"1983, at UCLA. She helped me set up experiments using the computers. We both got credit." Angelo admitted. "How did you two get together?"

"When I met her, she was approaching burnout. We became close. I offered her a way out of the high pressure executive track. She took me up on it. What happened with your relationship with Randi?"

"She dumped me. Claimed my prospects weren't bright enough for her." Angelo admitted. "How long had she been taking pills?"

"How odd. You didn't tell her who your parents are?" Marlowe asked.

"No. I try to get by on my own." Angelo said. "What about the pills?"

Marlowe sighed. "Yes, well, you know that Wild Bill Dornan runs a real sweatshop up there in Seattle. He put such high expectations on his people that there was no way for a human being to maintain production except with drugs. That's was part of how Randi coped with the demands."

"But you took her away from all that." Angelo prompted.

"Well, yes and no." Marlowe said. "She was free of Wild Bill's slave driver tactics, but our attempts to treat her addiction to the pills were not successful."

"I'm sorry." Angelo said.

"Have you been carrying a torch around for Randi all this time?" Marlowe asked.

Angelo shrugged. "I can't answer that with a yes or a no."

"Well, I'm afraid that you'll have to seek closure on this in your own way. Do you have any evidence that there was foul play involved in Randi's death?" Marlowe asked.

"Nothing concrete." Angelo admitted.

"That's because there is nothing concrete there, Detective. Poor Randi just drove herself off a cliff. I have a h.e.l.l of a time wrapping my brain around it, myself, but there it is." Marlowe said.

"I am a great fan of the truth. Given half a chance, the facts of this will point out the truth." Angelo said.

"You really value your work don't you?" Marlowe asked.

"Yes, Sir." Angelo said honestly.

"Well, Detective, if I were to sue you for unethical conduct in this matter, what do you think the reaction of your bosses would be?" Marlowe said.

"Hmm. That's hard to speculate about." Angelo said.

"Your status as a Detective is in jeopardy, Angelo. My lawyer is chomping at the bit to get his hooks into you. This latest incident can only incite him further. Even with the best lawyers that your father can buy for you, I don't expect that your career would survive two firings." Marlowe stated. "I'm speaking as a friend of your family now. Don't throw away something you treasure on nothing. It's not worth it."

"What are you trying to say, exactly?" Angelo asked. He had the uncomfortable feeling that he already knew.

"In plain language, Detective, I'm telling you to drop this matter and return to Vista City. There's nothing for you here. If you stay and keep poking your nose into my business, then I'll let my lawyer sue you. Afterwards, you won't even be able to get hired as a dog catcher. Is that clear enough?" Marlowe's eyes were cold. This was business now.

"I'll take it under advis.e.m.e.nt." Angelo said quietly. He'd been threatened before, but never by such means. Threats of violence could be out thought or out shot. How could you defeat a superior legal team? Angelo paid the tab and left.

"Don't forget, Detective. Out of my business and out of Los Angeles, or I won't be responsible for the consequences." Marlowe said as he left.

Angelo returned to the Century Hilton. As he walked into his room he met two men there. They were big in the "ex-college-jock" way. One had blond hair that was receding rapidly. The other one was hispanic with a large handle-bar mustache and mean eyes.

"h.e.l.lo." Angelo said. His gun appeared in his hand. He was too used to finding strangers in his place to trust them. He recognized Mangar and Souza, two of Brown's favorite homicide detectives.

Both Souza and Mangar pulled their guns, too. Angelo could have shot them in the mean time, but he couldn't bring himself to. If they meant to hurt him, they wouldn't have been standing in the room like a couple of target dummies, they would have been hiding in ambush.

"Put that G.o.dd.a.m.n thing down, Mancuso." Souza, the blond snarled. "You know us."

"That's why I drew it." Angelo drawled.

"You're threatening LAPD officers with a gun. It would be a good shoot." Mangar, the hispanic man said.

Angelo waved his gun absently more towards Mangar. "For Souza, maybe."

The big blond man put his gun away. "You p.i.s.sed Captain Brown off but good, Mancuso."

Mangar and Angelo stood facing each other. Angelo didn't feel safe around Mangar. Mangar's eyes burned with resentment.

"Yeah," Angelo commented to Souza. "He and I have a special relationship."

"He's been on the phone all morning to your office in Vista City, trying to raise h.e.l.l for you back there." Souza said.

Mangar looked at Souza, and then back at Angelo. He said "Put the gun down, or I'll kill you."

Angelo tightened his grip on the gun and brought into a direct aim at Mangar. Mangar started and realized that he was staring down the barrel of Angelo's Glock. Death was just a squeeze away now. Mangar began to sweat and go gray. He raised his gun to point at Angelo's head. "I said put the f.u.c.king gun down!"

Angelo was really worried. Mangar might pull the trigger at any second. He didn't mean to push the bully into a corner like that. Now, If Angelo did put the gun down, Mangar might try to beat him. That would prove to Mangar that he was still tougher than anyone. If Angelo kept the gun aimed at Mangar, Mangar would eventually be forced to shoot to prove that Angelo couldn't push him. "What's this guy doing with a badge?" Part of Angelo's brain yelled.

Souza reached out and gently pushed Mangar's arm to the side. "That's enough."

Angelo quickly brought his gun down by his side.

"G.o.d d.a.m.n it, whose side are you on?" Mangar snarled to Souza.

"There'll be another time." Souza said.

Mangar turned away with his face burning red. He holstered his weapon.