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〃Well； I know she went out with Don Leyes and Harold Costa； and I saw her once with a sailor； and I 。 。 。〃
Marjorie faltered； I caught a troubled look in her eyes。 〃What is it？ You can tell me。〃
Marjorie's voice was stretched thin。 〃Right before she moved out I saw Betty and Linda Martin talking to this big older woman up on the Boulevard。 She was wearing a man's suit； and she had short hair like a man。 I only saw them with her that one time； so maybe it doesn't mean…〃
〃Are you saying the woman was a lesbian？〃
Marjorie bobbed her head up and down and reached for a Kleenex； Bill Koenig stepped inside and hooked a finger at me。 I walked over to him。 He whispered； 〃Them guys talked； said the stiff peddled her twat when she got strapped bad。 I called Mr。 Loew。 He said to keep that zipped； 'cause it's a better caper if she's a nice young cooze。〃
I bit off an urge to spill the dyke lead； the DA and his flunky would probably quash it； too。 I said； 〃I've got another quick one here。 Get statements from those guys； okay？〃
Koenig giggled and walked outside； I told Marjorie to sit still and moved to the rear of the lobby。 There was a registration desk； an open ledger on top of it。 I stood at the counter and leafed through the pages until I saw a childishly scrawled 〃Linda Martin；〃 with 〃Room 14〃 printed across from it。
I took the first…floor corridor back to the room； knocked on the door and waited for an answer。 When none came after five seconds； I tried the knob。 It gave； and I pushed the door open。
It was a cramped little room containing nothing but an unmade bed。 I checked the closet； it was dead empty。 The nightstand held a stack of yesterday's papers folded open to 〃Werewolf Murder〃 brouhaha； suddenly I knew the Martin girl was a lamster。 I got down on the floor and ran a hand under the bed； brushed a flat object and pulled it out。
It was a red plastic change purse。 I opened it and found two pennies； a dime and an identification card for Cornhusker High School； Cedar Rapids； Iowa。 The card was made out to Lorna Martilkova； DOB 12/19/31。 There was a photo of a beautiful young girl below the school's crest； in my mind I was already typing out an all…points juvie runaway warrant。
Marjorie Graham appeared in the doorway。 I held out the ID card； she said； 〃That's Linda。 God； she's only fifteen。〃
〃Middle…aged for Hollywood。 When did you see her last？〃
〃This morning。 I told her I called the police； that they'd be ing by to talk to us about Betty。 Was that the wrong thing to do？〃
〃You couldn't have known。 And thanks。〃
Marjorie smiled； and I found myself wishing her a speedy one…way trip out of movieland。 I kept the wish silent as I smiled back and walked outside。 On the porch； Bill Koenig was standing at parade rest and Donald Leyes and Harold Costa were sprawled in lounge chairs with that green…at…the…gills look that es with taking a few rabbit punches。
Koenig said； 〃They didn't do it。〃
I said； 〃No shit； Sherlock。〃
Koenig said； 〃My name ain't Sherlock。〃
I said； 〃No shit。〃
Koenig said； 〃What？〃
* * *
At Hollywood Station I exercised the Warrants cops' special prerogative； issuing an all…points juvenile runaway warrant and a priority material witness warrant on Lorna Martilkova； Linda Martin； leaving the report forms with the daywatch boss； who told me the APBs would hit the air within the hour； and that he would send officers over to 1611 North Orange Drive to question the tenants on Linda/Lorna's possible whereabouts。 With that taken care of； I wrote my report on the series of questionings； stressing Betty Short as a habitual liar and the possibility that she acted in a movie sometime in November of '46。 Before finishing it up； I wavered on whether to mention Marjorie Graham's lead on the old dyke。 If Ellis Loew got ahold of the dope he would probably quash it along with the skinny on Betty as a part…time prostie； so I decided to omit it from the report and give the information verbally to Russ Millard。
From a squadroom phone I called the Screen Actor's Guild and Central Casting and inquired about Elizabeth Short。 A clerk told me that no one by that name or any diminutive of the name Elizabeth was ever listed with them； making it unlikely that she had appeared in a legit Hollywood production。 I hung up thinking of the movie as another Betty fairy tale； the viewfinder a fairy…tale prop。
It was late afternoon。 Being free of Koenig felt like surviving cancer and the three interviews felt like an overdose of Betty/Beth Short and her low…rent last months on earth。 I was tired and hungry； so I drove to the house for a sandwich and a nap… and walked straight into another installment of the Black Dahlia Show。
Kay and Lee were standing around the dining room table； examining crime scene photos shot at 39th and Norton。 There was Betty Short's bashed head； Betty Short's slashed breasts； Betty Short's empty bottom half and Betty Short's wide…open legs…all in glossy black and white。 Kay was nervously smoking and shooting little glances at the pictures； Lee was eyeballing them； his face twitching in a half dozen directions； the Benzedrine man from outer space。 Neither said a word to me； I just stood there playing straight man to the most celebrated stiff in LA history。
Finally Kay said； 〃Hi； Dwight；〃 and Lee stabbed a shaky finger at a close…up of the torso mutilations。 〃It's not a random job； I know it。 Vern Smith says some guy just picked her up on the street； took her someplace and tortured her； then dumped her in the lot。 Horseshit。 The guy who did this hated her for a reason and wanted the whole goddamn world to know。 Jesus； two fucking days he cut her。 Babe； you took pre…med classes； you think this guy had medical training？ You know； like some kind of mad doctor type？〃
Kay put out her cigarette and said； 〃Lee； Dwight's here〃； Lee wheeled around。
I said； 〃Partner…〃 and Lee tried to wink； smile and speak at the same time。
It came off as one awful grimace； when he got out； 〃Bucky； listen to Kay； I knew all the college I bought her would do me some good；〃 I had to look away。
Kay's voice was soft； patient。 〃This kind of theorizing is just nonsense； but I'll give you a theory if you'll eat something to calm yourself down。〃
〃Theory on； teach。〃
〃Well； it's just a guess； but maybe there were two killers； because the torture cuts are crude； while the bisection and the cut on the abdomen； which are obviously both postmortem； are neat and clean。 Maybe there's just one killer though； and after he killed the girl he calmed down； then bisected her and made the abdominal cut。 And anybody could have removed the internal organs with the body in two parts。 I think mad doctors are only in the movies。 Sweetie； you have to calm down。 You have to quit taking those pills and you have to eat。 Listen to Dwight； he'll tell you that。〃
I looked at Lee。 He said； 〃I'm too hopped…up to eat；〃 then stuck out his hand like I'd just walked in。 〃Hey； partner。 You learn anything good about our girl today？〃
I thought of telling him I learned she wasn't worth a hundred full…time cops； I thought of spilling the