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I said； 〃What about her boyfriends？〃
Carmody slammed the counter； Jujubees and Milk Duds toppled over。 〃Lizzie wasn't no roundheels！ The only boyfriend I knew she had was this blind guy； and I knew it was just palship。 Listen； you want to know what kind of kid Lizzie was？ I'll tell you。 I used to let the blind guy in for free； so he could listen to the picture； and Lizzie kept sneaking into tell him what was on the screen。 You know； describe it to him。 That sound like tramp behavior to you？〃
It felt like a punch to the heart。 〃No； it doesn't。 Do you remember the guy's name？〃
〃Tommy something。 He's got a room over the VFW Hall down the block； and if he's a killer I'll flap my arms and fly to Nantucket。〃
I stuck out my hand。 〃Thanks for the candy bar； Mr。 Carmody。〃
We shook。 Carmody said； 〃You get the guy who killed Lizzie； I'll buy you the factory that makes the goddamn things。〃
As I said the words； I knew it was one of the finest moments of my life：
〃I will。〃
The VFW Hall was across the street and down from the Majestic； yet another red…brick structure streaked with soot。 I walked there thinking of blind Tommy as a big washout； someone I had to talk to soften up Betty； make her live more easily in me。
Side steps took me upstairs； past a mailbox labeled T。 GILFOYLE。 Ringing the bell； I heard music； looking in the one window I saw pitch darkness。 Then a soft male voice came from the other side of the door。 〃Yes？ Who is it？〃
〃Los Angeles Police； Mr。 Gilfoyle。 It's about Elizabeth Short。〃
Light hit the window； the music died。 The door opened； and a tall pudgy man wearing dark glasses pointed me inside。 He was immaculate in striped sportshirt and slacks； but the room was a pigsty； dust and grime everywhere； an army of bugs scattering from the unaccustomed blast of brightness。
Tommy Gilfoyle said； 〃My Braille teacher read me the LA papers。 Why did they say such nasty things about Beth？〃
I tried diplomacy。 〃Because they didn't know her like you did。〃
Tommy smiled and plopped into a ratty chair。 〃Is the apartment really disreputable？〃
The couch was littered with phonograph records； I scooped a handful aside and sat down。 〃It could use a lick and a promise。〃
〃I get slothful sometimes。 Is Beth's investigation active again？ Priority stuff？〃
〃No； I'm here on my own。 Where did you pick up the cop lingo？〃
〃I have a policeman friend。〃
I brushed a fat bug off my sleeve。 〃Tommy； tell me about you and Beth。 Give me something that didn't make the papers。 Something good。〃
〃Is this personal with you？ Like a vendetta？〃
〃It's more than that。〃
〃My friend said policemen who take their work personally get in trouble。〃
I stomped a cockroach exploring my shoe。 〃I just want to get the bastard。〃
〃You don't have to yell。 I'm blind； not deaf； and I wasn't blind to Beth's little faults； either。〃
〃How so？〃
Tommy fingered the cane by his chair。 〃Well； I won't dwell on it； but Beth was promiscuous； just like the newspapers implied。 I knew the reason； but I kept still because I didn't want to disgrace her memory； and I knew that it wouldn't help the police find her killer。〃
The man was wheedling now； caught between wanting to kick loose and keep secrets。 I said； 〃You let me judge that。 I'm an experienced detective。〃
〃At your age？ I can tell by your voice that you're young。 My friend said that to make detective you have to serve at least ten years on the force。〃
〃Goddamn it； don't dick me around。 I came here on my own and I didn't e to…〃
I stopped when I saw that the man was frightened； one hand going for the telephone。 〃Look； I'm sorry。 It's been a long day； and I'm a long way from home。〃
Tommy surprised me by smiling。 〃I'm sorry； too。 I was just being coy to prolong the pany； and that's rude。 So I'll tell you about Beth； her little foibles and all。
〃You probably know she was star…struck； and that's true。 You probably guessed that she didn't have much talent； and that's true； too。 Beth read plays to me…acting all the parts； and she was a terrible ham…just awful。 I understand the spoken word； so believe me； I know。
〃What Beth was good at was writing。 I used to sit in on movies at the Majestic； and Beth used to describe things so I'd have something to go with the dialogue。 She was brilliant； and I encouraged her to write for the movies； but she just wanted to be an actress like every other silly girl who wanted to get out of Medford。〃
I would have mitted mass murder to get out。 〃Tommy； you said you know the reason Beth was promiscuous。〃
Tommy sighed。 〃When Beth was sixteen or seventeen； these two thugs assaulted her； somewhere in Boston。 One actually raped her； and the other was going to； but a sailor and a marine came by and chased them away。
〃Beth thought the man might have made her pregnant； so she went to a doctor for an examination。 He told her she had benign ovarian cysts； that she'd never be able to have children。 Beth went crazy； because she'd always wanted lots of babies。 She looked up the sailor and marine who'd saved her； and she begged them to father her child。 The marine turned her down； and the sailor 。 。 。 he used Beth until he was shipped overseas。〃
I thought immediately of Frenchman Joe Dulange…his account of the Dahlia hipped on being pregnant； how he fixed her up with a 〃doctor buddy〃 and a bogus exam。 That part of Dulange's story obviously wasn't as booze…addled as Russ Millard and I had originally thought…it was now a solid lead on Betty's missing days； the 〃doctor buddy〃 at least a major witness； maybe a major suspect。 I said； 〃Tommy； do you know the names of the sailor and marine？ The doctor？〃
Tommy shook his head。 〃No。 But that was when Beth became so loose with servicemen。 She thought they were her saviors； that they could give her a child； a little girl to be a great actress in case she never made it。 It's sad； but the only place I heard Beth was a great actress was in bed。〃
I stood up。 〃What happened with you and Beth then？〃
〃We lost touch。 She left Medford。〃
〃You've given me a good lead； Tommy。 Thanks。〃
The blind man tapped his cane at the sound of my voice。 〃Then get who did it； but don't let Beth get hurt anymore。〃
〃I won't。〃
CHAPTER THIRTY…TWO
The Short case was hot again… if only with me。
Hours of Medford pub crawling gave me promiscuous Betty； East Coast style…a big anticlimax after Tommy Gilfoyle's revelations。 I caught a midnight flight back to LA and called Russ Millard from the airport。 He agreed： Frenchman Joe's 〃roach doctor〃 was probably legit； independent of Dulange's DTs。 He proposed a call to the Fort Dix CID to try to get more details from the discharged loony； then a three…man canvassing of downtown doctor's offices； concentrating on the area around the Havana Hotel； where Dulange coupled with Betty。 I suggested that the 〃doctor〃 was most likely a barfly； an abortionist or a quack； Russ concurred。 He said he would talk to R&I and his snitches； and he and Harry Sears would be knocking on doors inside of an hour。 We divvied up the territory： Figueroa to Hill； 6th Street to 9th Str