White Jazz Part 52

"Trust ME, lad"--Dudley Smith in my head.

Shouts up top: "Mr. Noonan! Mr. Noonan, he's on the radio!"

Noonan splashed up the hill; Exley hooked a finger my way.

Duck him--up to the bluff fighting shivers. Fed cars, Feds: Shipstad, Noonan, Milner et f.u.c.king al.

Mickey Cohen on KMPC: "... This is a public announcement undertaken in true sincerity, so I will say it now: I am severing my rackets connections. It is a mitzvah and a good deed of atonement, and I am coming forth to aid the Federal rackets probe currently doing business in n.i.g.g.e.r--I mean Southside Los Angeles. I do this with great personal tsuris, which is the same as agony to you many Angeleno viewers and listeners who do not understand Yiddish. I am doing this severing because vicious midwestern hoodlums killed four of my men some months ago, and they are now threatening to kill my ex-wife, and let me now state that those rumors of her leaving me for some shvartze calypso singer are false. I am doing this severing because it is the moral thing to do as taught in the Bible, that wonderful perennial bestseller with many wonderful lessons for gentiles and Jews alike. I sold my Nig--I mean Southside vending-machine business to the midwestern hoodlums to save lives. I am now prepared to aid my dear friend U.S. Attorney Welles Noonan and his courageous. .

Mickey rambling.

Shipstad grinning.

Noonan trembling--wet feet, rage.

"... and the Federal rackets probe is undertaken out of principles espoused in the Bible, one of those goyishe chapters that serve as the basis of inspirational movies like _Samson and Delilah_ or maybe the scintillating _The Ten Commandments_."

Noonan: "Mickey's testimony is a bit anticlimactic now. I would like to blame these deaths on the Kafesjians, but vending machines have never been their raison d'etre. Eight A.M. tomorrow, Brother Klein. Bring Kafesjian information, and don't even think of asking for an extension."

"Trust ME, lad"--Dudley Smith sweet as Jesus.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

4:09: J.C. and Madge at home.

4:16: Lucille walking-- Lincoln Heights--bars, newsstands.

4:23: Tommy walking--Lincoln Heights. Unit 3-B67: "I think he's checking out shooting galleries. He's. .h.i.t four places the past two hours, and they look like hype pads to me."

4:36: Lucille walking.

4:41: Tommy walking.

3-B67: "I called the Highland Park Squad about those places Tommy hit. They said hype pads affirmative. Him and Lucille haven't run into each other yet, which G.o.dd.a.m.n amazes me."

4:53--4:59, all units: No Richie Herrick sightings.

5:02: Base to all J.C./Madge units: proceed to Lincoln Heights and saturate for Richie Herrick.

5:09: Lucille at Kwan's Chow Mein PaG.o.da. 3-B71: "She walked straight to the kitchen, and I _know_ this place. Uncle Ace Kwan sells white horse, so I'll bet Lucy didn't stop in for chop suey."

5:16: Lucille exiting the restaurant. 3-B71: "She looks nervous, and she's carrying a brown paper bag."

Weird--hype Lucille?--unlikely.

Junkie Richie--ditto.

Tommy cruising dope pads--????

5:21: Tommy p.i.s.sing in the street in full view of children. 3-B67: "Jesus, what a whanger! This clown has gotta hold the white man's world record!"

A clerk nudged me; I pulled off my headset. "What is it?"

"High bra.s.s to see you. The parking lot, ASAP."

Exley.

Go--past the squadroom--civilian radio blaring: Gangland Slayings! Mickey Cohen Reforms! Outside-Dudley.

Lounging on a prowl car.

Breuning and Carlisle by the fence--out of earshot. Breuning wearing a herringbone coat--MOVIE TIME patterns.

"h.e.l.lo, lad."

Don't flinch, don't move too sudden, don't tremble.

"I got your notes, lad."

I stepped closer. Smell him: bay rum cologne.

"I hope you availed yourself of a splendid mink stole for that lovely sister of yours. Is she still consorting with Jack Woods?"

"I've got Chick Vecchio stashed. He snitched you on the movie, the furs, you running Mickey and those slot guys you clipped in Watts."

"I would say you're dissembling. I would say Exley hearsay is your sole source of information. You're a.s.suming I told Chick things that indeed I didn't, and frankly I doubt that he would speak indiscreetly, even under the most severe duress."

"Try to find him."

"Is he dead or just temporarily indisposed?"

"He's alive, and he'll talk to stay that way."

Breuning and Carlisle watching us bug-eyed.

"They can't hear us, lad."

Don't blink. Don't tremble-- "Lad, your notes stated that you wished to act independent of Edmund Exley. I found that encouraging, and your mention of money even more so."

"Breuning put that sword in my hand. I'll trade you Vecchio for him, the movie and fifty thousand."

"Mike was hardly the director of your cinema debut."

"Let's just say he pays."

"Lad, you surprise me. I had thought your homicidal tendencies to be strictly profit-motivated."

"I'm afraid you'll just have to accept this new aspect of my personality."

Dudley roared. "Lad, your sense of humor is beyond salutary, and I agree to your offer."

"Tonight then. A public place."

"Yes, my thoughts exactly. Shall we make it eight o'clock, the Hollywood Ranch Market parking lot?"

"Agreed."

"I'll have Mike bring the fifty. He'll think it's a payoff run, and he'll be told to accompany you to fetch Vecchio. Take him with you, and when things are settled, call me at AXminster 6-4031 to tell me where Chick can be found. And, lad? Mike will be wearing a vest--you should know that and aim accordingly."

"I'm surprised--you and Breuning go back."

"Yes, lad, but you and I go forward. And on that topic, how do you a.s.sess the extent of Edmund Exley's information?"

Seal it--touch him. That cologne--don't gag.

"Lad . . ."

I draped an arm around his shoulders. "He knows everything that I do and whatever else Johnny Duhamel told him. There's nothing on paper, and his Duhamel evidence is hearsay impossible to corroborate. He ran me against you on the Kafesjian burglary, and my only regret is that he's too big to kill."

"Are you saying our transgressions might go unpunished as a result of his lack of evidence?"

"I'm saying you'll skate--_if_ you curtail your plans with Mickey."

"And yourself, lad? Dare I proffer the word 'loyalty'?"

"It's the Feds, Exley or you. You're the only one with cash money."

Embracing me--Dudley Liam Smith. "You've made a wise choice, lad. We'll discuss Exley later, and I won't insult your intelligence with the word 'trust.'

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

6:16: J.C. and Madge at home.

6:21: Tommy prowling dope pads--Lincoln Heights.

6:27: Lucille prowling bars--Lincoln Heights.

6:34, all units: no Richie Herrick sightings.

6:41: Tommy eating dinner: Kwan's Chow Mein PaG.o.da.

3-B67, walkie-talkie: "I'm no lip reader, but I can tell Uncle Ace is telling Tommy how Lucille copped some white horse from him. Tommy's G.o.dd.a.m.n fuming. Oops, he's walking. 3-B67 to base, over and out."

6:50: Tommy cruising Lincoln Heights--random zigzags.

6:54: Lucille walking--Lincoln Park-chatting up b.u.ms.

6:55, 6:56, 6:57, 6:58--Mike Breuning pictured dead a hundred ways.

NO--

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

". . . so I'll cross Dudley. I won't hand over Vecchio--and Dudley thinks I'm going to kill Breuning. We nail Breuning for the Duhamel killing, and _I'll_ eyewitness Tommy K. popping Steve Wenzel, which gives us a wedge on the Kafesjians. Breuning will f.u.c.king s.h.i.t his pants when I ARREST him, then we'll--"

"Klein, will you calm down--"

"Calm down s.h.i.t, I'm a lawyer, you listen to me."

"Klein--"

"No, you listen. Breuning snitches Dudley, then Gallaudet convenes a special County grand jury to hear evidence. We upstage the Feds on Narco and the Kafesjians tangential to Dudley, and I testify on the Duhamel killing and all conspiracies extant with the Kafesjians, Dan Wilhite, Narco, Smith, Mickey Cohen, my mob hits, all of it. I'm a cop, I'm an attorney, I'll be the goat, I'll testify when the trials start, the Feds'll be f.u.c.ked, you'll look so good Welles Noonan'll wither up and die and Gas Chamber Bob'll ride the trials straight to the governorship and--"

"Klein--"

"Exley, PLEASE, let me do this. Dudley knows I'm a killer, and he thinks he's operating me on Breuning. Now, if I bring Breuning in, he'll punk out--without Dudley he's got no guts. Exley, PLEASE."

Tick tick tick tick tick--seconds/a minute-- "Do it."