Hollywood Nocturnes by James Ellroy Read Free Book Online

and went hiking. There it was: a shack tucked into a box canyon a mile north of the Observatory.
      Hard to spot: scrub bushes blocked the canyon entrance off.
      Tumbleweeds covered the roof--the shack couldn't be seen from the air.
      The door was open. Stink wafted out: dead animals, dead something. Dig the interior: a mattress on the floor, blood-encrusted pelts stacked on a table.
      Chris said, "Scalps," and covered her nose.
      I looked closer--yeah--SCALPS.
      Sid crossed himself. Bud said, "I found this place a few years ago. I was on a hiking jaunt with a buddy and stumbled onto it. Those scalps spooked the living bejeezus out of me, and I checked with this cop pal of mine. He said back in '46 some crazy Indian escaped from Atascadero, killed six people and scalped them. The Indian was never captured, and if you look close, you'll see six scalps there."
      I looked close. Six scalps, all right--one replete with braids and a plastic barette.
      Chris and Sid lit cigarettes--the stink diminuendoed. I said, "Bud, what are you saying?"
      "That at least one of your kidnappers should be made up to look like an Indian. That this dump as the kidnapper's stash place would gain you some points for realism. That a psycho Indian who might be long dead makes a good fall guy."
      Chris said, "If this works and my career takes off, I'll give you each 10 percent of my gross earnings for the next ten years. If it doesn't work, I'll cash in some stocks my dad left me and split the money between you, and I'll sleep with both of you at least once."
      Sid howled. Chris poked a scalp and said, "Ick. Icky lizard."
      I said, "Count me in, minus the bed stuff. If the gig doesn't fly or get results, I'll fork over the pink slip on my 88."
      Four-way handshakes. A bird squawked outside--I flinched wicked bad.

    5.

              Scalps.
      Indian fall guys.
      Teamster goons.
      Encore: Dick Contino, truculent guinea hood.
      Who _didn't_ tell his wife: I'm knee-deep in a hot kidnap caper.
      Monday morning twinkled new-beginning-bright. I walked out for the paper--a fuzz type was lounging on my car. I'd seen him before: hobknobbing with Bud Brown at Yeakel Olds.
      I eeeased over guinea hood coool. Fear: my legs evaporated.
      He held up a badge. "My name's DePugh. I'm an investigator for the McClellan Senate Rackets Committee. Bud Brown snitched you for Conspiracy to Kidnap, Conspiracy to Defraud and Conspiracy to Perpetuate a Public Hoax, and believe me, he did you a big favor. Hand me the contents of your outside jacket pockets."
      I complied. Felony bingo: repo run reefers. Bud Brown: lying rat motherfucker.
      DePugh said, "Add Possession of Marijuana to those charges, and put that shit back in your pockets before your neighbors see it."
      I complied. DePugh whipped out a sheet of paper. "Dear Dick: I couldn't let you and Chrissy go through with it. You would have gotten caught in your lies and everybody would have gotten hurt, me and Sid included. I told Mr. DePugh, who is a nice guy, so that he would stop you but not get you in trouble. Mr. DePugh said there is a favor you could do for him, so my advice is to do it. I'm sorry I finked you off, but I did it for your own good. Your pal, Bud Brown."
      My legs returned--this wasn't a jail bounce. Shit clicked in late: Bud pressing the Teamster Prez for info; Bud hinky on the kidnap plan from jump street. "Brown's an informant for the McClellan Committee."
      "That's correct. And I am a nice guy with a beautiful and impetuous nineteen-year-old daughter who may be heading for a fall that you can help avert."
      "_What?_"
      DePugh smiled and clicked into focus: a cop from Moosefart, Minnesota, with a night school law degree. "Dick, you are one good-looking side of beef. My daughter Jane, God bless her, goes for guys like you--although I'm pretty sure she's still a virgin, and I want to keep her that way until she finds herself some nice pussywhipped