按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ousand lies about being married to nine thousand different war heroes。 You get the picture？〃
I said； 〃Vividly。 Let's change the subject。〃
〃Goody。 How about international finance？〃
〃How about the movies？ You girls are all trying to break in； right？〃
Sheryl gave me a vamp look。 〃I have broken in。 I was in The Cougar Woman； Attack of the Phantom Gargoyle and Sweet Will Be the Honeysuckle。〃
〃Congratulations。 Did Betty ever get any movie work？〃
〃Maybe。 Maybe once； but then again maybe not； because Betty was such a liar。〃
〃Go on。〃
〃Well； on Thanksgiving all the kids on the sixth floor chipped in for a potluck supper； and Betty was flush and bought two whole cases of beer。 She was bragging about being in a movie； and she was showing around this viewfinder that she said the director gave her。 Now lots of girls have got chintzy little viewfinders that movie guys give them； but this was an expensive one； on a chain； with a little velvet case。 I remember that Betty was on cloud nine that night； talking up a blue streak。〃
〃Did she tell you the name of the movie？〃
Sheryl shook her head。 〃No。〃
〃Did she mention any names associated with the movie？〃
〃If she did； I don't remember。〃
I looked around the room； counted twelve bunk beds at a dollar a night apiece and thought of a landlord getting fat。 I said； 〃Do you know what a casting couch is？〃
The mock Cleopatra's eyes burned。 〃Not me； buster。 Not this girl ever。〃
〃Betty Short？〃
〃Probably。〃
I heard a horn honking； walked to the window and looked out。 A flatbed truck with a dozen Cleopatras and pharaohs in the back was at the curb directly behind my car。 I turned around to tell Sheryl； but she was already out the door。
* * *
The last address on Millard's list was 1611 North Orange Drive； a pink stucco tourist flop in the shadow of Hollywood High School。 Koenig snapped out of his nose…picking reverie as I double…parked in front of it； pointing to two men perusing a stack of newspapers on the steps。 〃I'll take them； you take the skirts。 You got names for them？〃
I said； 〃Maybe Harold Costa and Donald Leyes。 You look tired； Sarge。 Don't you want to sit this one out？〃
〃I'm bored。 What should I ask them guys？〃
〃I'll handle them； Sarge。〃
〃You remember the kitty cat； Bleichert。 Same thing happened to him happens to guys who try to jerk my chain when Fritzie ain't around。 Now what do I roust them guys for？〃
〃Sarge…〃
Koenig sprayed me with spittle。 〃I'm ranking； hotshot！ You do what Big Bill says！〃
Seeing red； I said； 〃Get alibis and ask them if Betty Short ever engaged in prostitution〃； Koenig snickered in reply。 I took the lawn and steps at a run； the two men moving aside to let me through。 The front door opened into a shabby sitting room； a group of young people were sitting around； smoking and reading movie mags。 I said； 〃Police。 I'm looking for Linda Martin； Marjorie Graham； Harold Costa and Donald Leyes。〃
A honey blonde in a slacks suit dog…eared her Photoplay。 〃I'm Marjorie Graham； and Hal and Don are outside。〃
The rest of the people got up and fanned out into the hallway； like I was a big dose of bad news。 I said； 〃This is about Elizabeth Short。 Did any of you know her？〃
I got a half dozen negative head shakes； shocked and sad looks； outside I heard Koenig shouting； 〃You tell me true！ Was the Short bimbo peddling it？〃
Marjorie Graham said； 〃I was the one who called the police； Officer。 I gave them Linda's name because I knew she knew Betty； too。〃
I pointed to the door。 〃What about those guys outside？〃
〃Don and Harold？ They both dated Betty。 Harold called you because they knew you'd be looking for clues。 Who's that man yelling at them？〃
I ignored the question； sat down beside Marjorie Graham and got out my notebook。 〃What can you tell me about Betty that I don't know already？ Can you give me facts？ Names of other boyfriends； descriptions； specific dates？ Enemies？ Possible motives for somebody wanting to kill her？〃
The woman flinched； I realized I was raising my voice。 Keeping it low； I said； 〃Let's start with dates。 When did Betty live here？〃
〃Early December；〃 Marjorie Graham said。 〃I remember because there was a bunch of us sitting here listening to a radio program on the fifth anniversary of Pearl Harbor when she checked in。〃
〃So that was December seventh？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃And how long was she here？〃
〃No more than a week or so。〃
〃How did she know about this place？〃
〃I think Linda Martin told her about it。〃
Millard's memo stated that Betty Short spent most of December in San Diego。 I said； 〃But she moved out shortly afterward； right？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Why； Miss Graham？ Betty lived in three places that we know of last fall…all in Hollywood。 Why did she move around so much？〃
Marjorie Graham took a tissue from her purse and fretted it。 〃Well； I don't really know for sure。〃
〃Was some jealous boyfriend after her？〃
〃I don't think so。〃
〃Miss Graham； what do you think？〃
Marjorie sighed。 〃Officer； Betty used up people。 She borrowed money from them and told them stories； and 。 。 。 well； a lot of pretty hard…nosed kids live here； and I think they saw through Betty pretty quick。〃
I said； 〃Tell me about Betty。 You liked her； didn't you？〃
〃Yes。 She was sweet and trusting and sort of dumb； but 。 。 。 inspired。 She had this strange gift； if you want to call it that。 She'd do anything to be liked； and she sort of took on the mannerisms of whoever she was with。 Everybody here smokes； and Betty started smoking to be one of the kids； even though it was bad for her asthma and she hated cigarettes。 And the funny thing is that she'd try to walk and talk like you； but she was always herself when she was doing it。 She was always Betty or Beth or whatever nickname for Elizabeth she was going by at that moment。〃
I kicked the sad dope around in my head。 〃What did you and Betty talk about？〃
Marjorie said； 〃Mostly I just listened to Betty talk。 We used to sit here and listen to the radio； and Betty told stories。 Love stories about all these war heroes…Lieutenant Joe and Major Matt and on and on。 I knew they were just fantasies。 Sometimes she talked about being a movie star； like all she had to do was walk around in her black dresses and sooner or later she'd get discovered。 That sort of made me mad； because I've been taking classes at the Pasadena Playhouse； and I know that acting is hard work。〃
I flipped to my notes from the Sheryl Saddon questioning。 〃Miss Graham； did Betty talk about being in a movie sometime in late November？〃
〃Yes。 The first night she was here she was bragging about it。 She said she had a co…starring role； and she showed around a viewfinder。 A couple of boys pressed her for details； and she told one of them it was at Paramount； another that it was at Fox。 I thought she was just fibbing to get attention。〃
I wrote 〃Names〃 on a clean page and underlined it three times。 〃Marjorie； what about names？ Betty's boyfriends； people you saw her with？〃
〃Well； I know she went out with Don Leyes and Harold Costa； and I saw her once with a sailor； a