Free Hollywood Nocturnes by James Ellroy Page B

impressed. But Slotnick's Border Patrol cars got fried, so I'm not entirely sure there's going to _be_ a movie."
      DePugh sipped his Mai-Tai. "I have faith in Sol. Any man that can eat cheese dip in the middle of a heart attack is resourceful."
      Shoftel stretched his fingers. "I studied acting under Stella Adler. My kidnapper's motivation is that he's a rape-o. I'll maul the Staples babe a little bit for verisimilitude's sake, you know, give her a few hickeys."
      Marichal chewed the fruit out of his Zombie. Those teeth-- fucking incandescent. "I was a contract Indian at Universal until I got my Teamster card. My motivation's a hatred of the white man. I drop a load of redskin grievance shit on you and Chris while I get ready to scalp you. You grab my tomahawk and slice me, then make your getaway. When you bring the cops back to the shack, they'll see those scalps from those unsolved snuffs back in '46. See, Fritzie's the guy with the ransom-sex perv motives, and I'm the out-of-control guy that fucks this genius plan up."
      I said, "Who do you hit up for the ransom?"
      DePugh: "Sol, and Charlie Morrison, the owner of the Mocambo. You see, Dick, I'm a cop, and I know what all cops know: that kidnappers are brainless scum who don't know shit from Shinola. You and Chris are not exactly big name kidnap bait, and Morrison and Sol wouldn't lift a finger to save you. This crime has to reek of vicious incompetence, and Fritz and Pat are two guys who know how to play the part."
      Shoftel said, "My parents abused me when I was a kid, so that's why I'm a rapist."
      Marichal said, "The white eyes stole my people's land and got me hooked on fire water. I need scalps to sate my blood lust and the ransom money to set up an Indian curio shop outside Bisbee, Arizona."
      DePugh tiki-torched a cigar. "We do the snatch in broad daylight outside your house. Pat and Fritz will haul you and Chris out to a mud-smeared Chevy, then transfer you to another car and drive you to Griffith Park. Fritz will call Sol with the first ransom demand, and Sol will haul ass to the Hollywood Police Station. You said that Getchell guy gets first crack at the story, and you said he hangs out at the Hollywood Station chasing tips. Okay, he'll be there and overhear Sol tell the cops about the ransom demand. These are solid embellishments, and we've got time to set things up right, because we can't move until Sol gets financing for the movie and it's ready to shoot."
      Fiends by torchlight: rape-o/scalper/stage-door dad/rogue accordionist. We shook hands all around--Shoftel's knuckles popped castanet-loud.

      *   *   *

              I went by Queen of Angels to see Sol.
      A clerk told me he'd checked out against doctor's advice. His forwarding address: Pink's Hot Dogs, Melrose and La Brea.
      I doubled back west. Pink's was SRO--feed lines counter to curb. Sol hogged a pay phone and table at the rear--spritzing with one eye on a row of half-gnawed wienies.
      Spritzing: "I'm not wedded to _Border Patrol!_ at the expense of your script, and I can get you Contino for an even grand!"
      Spraying: sauerkraut strands, french fry morsels.
      His color rose and fell; his medic-alert bracelet jangled. "Elmer, all right, your girlfriend can co-star. Yes, Elmer, I'll relinquish my producer's credit for a profit percentage! Listen, there's a publicity angle rigged to Contino's participation that I can't reveal the details of, but believe me, it's a doozie!"
      Hot dog meat flew.
      A pickle chunk hit a babe in a low-backed sweater; the midspine bulls-eye made her go, "EEEK!"
      Sol saw me and smothered the phone to his chest. "_Border Patrol!_ is now _Daddy-O_."

    10.

              Genealogies:
      _Wetback!_ into _Border Patrol!_ into _Daddy-O_. Pedro into Big Pete into Phil "Daddy-O" Sandifer: truck driver/singer/romantic lead. Maria Martinez to Maggie Martell to Jana Ryan; Jane DePugh to Sandra Giles--pitch-girl for Mark C. Bloome