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Madeleine flinched。 〃No。〃
〃Why not？ That's what that dive is all about； right？〃
〃Not entirely。〃
I tapped her green silk shoulder； hard。 〃Are you lez？〃
Madeleine went back to her father's burr。 〃Ye might say I take it where I can find it； laddie。〃
I smiled； then patted the spot I'd jabbed a moment before。 〃You're telling me that your sole contact with Linda Martin and Betty Short was a couple of cocktail bar conversations two months ago； right？〃
〃Yes。 That's exactly what I'm telling you。〃
〃Then why did you take off so fast last night？〃
Madeleine rolled her eyes and rolled 〃Laddie；〃 Scotch…voiced； I said； 〃Cut the shit and tell it straight。〃 The brass girl spat out： 〃Mister； my father is Emmett Sprague。 The Emmett Sprague。 He built half of Hollywood and Long Beach； and what he didn't build he bought。 He does not like publicity； and he would not like to see 'Tycoon's Daughter Questioned in Black Dahlia Case…Played Footsie with Dead Girl at Lesbian Nightclub' in the papers。 Now do you get the picture？〃
I said； 〃In Technicolor；〃 and patted Madeleine's shoulder。 She pulled away from me and sighed； 〃Is my name going into all kinds of police files where all kinds of slimy little policemen and slimy little yellow journalists will see it？〃
〃Maybe； maybe not。〃
〃What do I have to do to keep it out？〃
〃Convince me of a few things。〃
〃Such as？〃
〃Such as first you give me your impression of Betty and Linda。 You're a bright kid…give me your play on them。〃
Madeleine stroked the wheel； then the gleaming oak dashboard。 〃Well； they weren't sisters； they were just using the Hideaway to cadge drinks and dinner。〃
〃How could you tell？〃
〃I saw them brush off passes。〃
I thought of Marjorie Graham's mannish older woman。 〃Any passes stand out？ You know； rough stuff？ Bull daggers getting persistent？〃
Madeleine laughed。 〃No； the passes I saw were very ladylike。〃
〃Who made them？〃
〃Street trade I never saw before。〃
〃Or since？〃
〃Yes； or since。〃
〃What did you talk about with them？〃
Madeleine laughed again； harder。 〃Linda talked about the boy she left behind in Hicktown； Nebraska； or wherever it was she came from and Betty talked about the latest issue of Screenworld。 On a conversational level； they were right down there with you； only they were better looking。〃
I smiled and said； 〃You're cute。〃
Madeleine smiled and said； 〃You're not。 Look； I'm tired。 Aren't you going to ask me to prove I didn't kill Betty？ Since I can prove it； won't that put an end to this farce？〃
〃I'll get to that in a minute。 Did Betty ever talk about being in a movie？〃
〃No； but she was movie…struck in general。〃
〃Did she ever show you a movie viewfinder？ A lens gadget on a chain？〃
〃No。〃
〃What about Linda？ Did she talk about being in a movie？〃
〃No； just her hicktown sweetheart。〃
〃Do you have any idea where she'd go if she was on the lam？〃
〃Yes。 Hicktown； Nebraska。〃
〃Besides there。〃
〃No。 Can I…〃
I touched Madeleine's shoulder； more of a caress than a pat。 〃Yeah； tell me your alibi。 Where were you and what were you doing from last Monday； January thirteenth； through to Wednesday the fifteenth。〃
Madeleine cupped her hands to her mouth and blew a horn fanfare； then rested them on the seat by my knee。 〃I was at our house in Laguna from Sunday night through Thursday morning。 Daddy and Mommy and sister Martha were there with me； and so were our live…in servants。 If you want verification； call Daddy。 Our number is Webster 4391。 But be discreet。 Don't tell him where you met me。 Now； do you have any other questions？〃
My private Dahlia lead was blown； but it gave me the green light in another direction。 〃Yeah。 You ever do it with men？〃
Madeleine touched my knee。 〃I haven't met any lately； but I'll do it with you to keep my name out of the papers。〃
My legs were Jell…O。 〃Tomorrow night？〃
〃All right。 Pick me up at eight； like a gentleman。 The address is 482 South Muirfield。〃
〃I know the address。〃
〃I'm not surprised。 What's your name？〃
〃Bucky Bleichert。〃
Madeleine said； 〃It goes with your teeth。〃
I said； 〃Eight o'clock；〃 and got out of the Packard while my legs could still function。
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lee said； 〃You want to catch the fight films at the Wiltern tonight？ They're showing oldies… Dempsey； Ketchel； Greb。 What do you say？〃
We were sitting at desks across from each other in the University squadroom； manning telephones。 The clerical flunkies assigned to the Short case had been given Sunday off； so regular field dicks were doing the drudge work； taking down tips； then writing out slips assessing the tipsters and routing possible follow…ups to the nearest detective division。 We'd been at it for an hour without interruption； Kay's 〃gutless〃 remark hanging between us。 Looking at Lee； I saw that his eyes were just starting to pin； a sign that he was ing on to a fresh Benzie jolt。 I said； 〃I can't。〃
〃Why not？〃
〃I've got a date。〃
Lee grinned…twitched。 〃Yeah？ Who with？〃
I changed the subject。 〃Did you smooth it out with Kay？〃
〃Yeah； I rented a room for my stuff。 The El Nido Hotel； Santa Monica and Wilcox。 Nine scoots a week； chump change if it makes her feel good。〃
〃De Witt gets out tomorrow； Lee。 I think I should lean on him； maybe get Vogel and Koenig to do it。〃
Lee kicked at a wastebasket。 Paper wads and empty coffee cups flew out； heads darted up from other desks。 Then his phone rang。
Lee picked it up。 〃Homicide； Sergeant Blanchard speaking。〃 I stared at my routing slips； Lee listened to his caller。 Wednesday； Dahlia kiss…off time； came into focus as an eternity away； and I wondered if he'd need weaning off the Benzedrine。 Madeleine Sprague jumped into my mind…her nine millionth jump since she said； 〃I'll do it with you to keep my name out of the papers。〃 Lee had been on his call for a long time without interjecting ments or questions； I started wishing that my phone would ring and make Madeleine jump away。
Lee put down the receiver。 I said； 〃Anything interesting？〃
〃Another loony。 Who's your date tonight？〃
〃A neighbor girl。〃
〃Nice girl？〃
〃A honey。 Partner； if I find you hopped…up after Tuesday； it's the Bleichert…Blanchard rematch。〃
Lee gave me an outer space grin。 〃It's Blanchard…Bleichert； and you'd lose again。 I'm getting coffee。 You want some？〃
〃Black； no sugar。〃
〃ing up。〃
* * *
I logged in a total of forty…six phone tips； about half of them reasonably coherent。 Lee took off in the early afternoon； and Ellis Loew stuck me with the job of typing up Russ Millard's new summary report。 It stated that Red Manley had been released to his wife after conclusively passing lie detector and Pentothal tests； and that Betty Short's love letters had been thoroughly gone through。 A number of her swains had been ID'd and cleared as suspects； as had most of the guys who appeared in her photographs。 Efforts to identify the remaining men were continuing； and the Camp Cooke MPs had called in with the word that the soldier who beat up Betty in '43 was kil