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！
： 〃I couldn't let Georgie go because he saved my life。 We got separated from our pany； all alone in a big field of stiffs。 A German patrol was reconnoitering； sticking bayonets in everything British； dead or alive。 Georgie piled Germans on top of us。 They were all in pieces from a mortar attack。 Georgie made me crawl under all these arms and legs and guts and stay there； and when it was over he cleaned me up and talked about America to cheer me up。 So you see I couldn't 。 。 。〃
Emmett's whisper died out。 Madeleine caressed his shoulders； ruffled his hair。 I said； 〃I know that the stag film with Betty and Linda Martin wasn't shot in TJ。 Did Georgie have anything to do with it？〃
Madeleine's voice had the timbre Emmet's had earlier； when he was the one holding up the front。 〃No。 Linda and I were talking at La Verne's Hideaway。 She told me she needed a place to make a little movie。 I knew what she meant； and I wanted to be with Betty again； so I let them use one of my daddy's vacant houses； one that had an old set in the living room。 Betty and Linda and Duke Wellington shot the movie； and Georgie saw them doing it。 He was always sneaking around Daddy's empty houses； and he got crazy over Betty。 Probably because she looked like me 。 。 。 his daughter。〃
I turned away to make it easier for her to spill the rest。 〃Then？〃
〃Then； around Thanksgiving； Georgie came to Daddy and said； 'Give me that girl。' He said he'd tell the whole world that Daddy wasn't my daddy； and he'd lie about what we did together； like it was incest。 I looked around for Betty； but I couldn't find her。 Later I found out she was in San Diego then。 Daddy was letting Georgie stay in the garage； because he was making more and more demands。 He gave him money to keep him quiet； but he was still acting nasty and awful。
〃Then； that Sunday night； Betty called； out of the blue。 She'd been drinking； and she called me Mary or something like that。 She said she'd been calling all the friends in her little black book trying to get a loan。 I put Daddy on； and he offered Betty money to date a nice man he knew。 You see； we thought Georgie just wanted Betty for 。 。 。 sex。〃
I said； 〃After all you knew about him； you believed that？〃
Emmett shouted； 〃He liked to touch dead things！ He was passive！ I didn't think he was a goddamned killer！〃
I eased them into the rest。 〃And you told them Georgie had a medical background？〃
〃Because Betty respected doctors；〃 Madeleine said。 〃Because we didn't want her to feel like a whore。〃
I almost laughed。 〃Then？〃
〃Then I think you know the rest。〃
〃Tell me anyway。〃
Madeleine delivered； hate oozing out of her。 〃Betty took the bus out here。 She and Georgie left。 We thought they'd go someplace decent to be together。〃
〃Like the Red Arrow Motel？〃
〃No！ Like one of Daddy's old houses that Georgie took care of！ Betty forgot her purse； so we thought she'd be back for it； but she never came back and neither did Georgie； and then the papers came out and we knew what must have happened。〃
If Madeleine thought her confession was over； she was wrong。 〃Tell me what you did then。 How you covered things up。〃
Madeleine caressed Emmett while she spoke。 〃I went looking for Linda Martin； and I found her at a motel in the Valley。 I gave her money and told her that if the police picked her up and asked her about the movie she was to say it was filmed in Tijuana with a Mexican crew。 She kept her part of the bargain when you captured her； and she only mentioned the movie because she had the print in her purse。 I tried to find Duke Wellington； but I couldn't。 That worried me； then he sent in his alibi to the Herald…Express； and it didn't mention where the movie was shot。 So we were safe。 Then…〃
〃Then I came along。 And you pumped me for dope on the case； and you threw me little tidbits about Georgie to see if I bit。〃
Madeleine quit stroking Daddy and studied her manicure。 〃Yes。〃
〃What about the alibi you gave me？ Laguna Beach； check with the servants？〃
〃We gave them money in case you actually did check。 They don't speak English too well； and of course you believed me。〃
Madeleine was smiling now。 I said； 〃Who mailed Betty's pictures and little black book in？ There were envelopes sent； and you said Betty left her purse here。〃
Madeleine laughed。 〃That was genius sister Martha。 She knew I knew Betty； but she wasn't home that night Betty and Georgie were here。 She didn't know Georgie was blackmailing Daddy or that he killed Betty。 She ripped the page with our number on it out of the book； and she scratched the faces off the men in the pictures as her way of saying； 'Look for a lesbian；' namely me。 She just wanted me smeared； implicated。 She also called the police and gave them a tip on La Verne's。 The scratched faces were très genius Martha…she always scratches like a cat when she's mad。〃
Something in her statement hit me as wrong； but I couldn't pin it down。 〃Martha told you this？〃
Madeleine buffed her red claws。 〃When the little black book stuff made the papers； I knew it had to be Martha。 I scratched a confession out of her。〃
I turned to Emmett 〃Where's Georgie？〃
The old man stirred。 〃He's probably staying at one of my vacant houses。 I'll bring you a list。〃
〃Bring me all four of your passports； too。〃
Emmett walked out of the battlefield bedroom。 Madeleine said； 〃I really did like you； Bucky。 I really did。〃
〃Save it for Daddy。 You're wearing the pants now； so save the sugar for him。〃
〃What are you going to do？〃
〃First I'm going home and putting all of this on paper； attached to material witness warrants for you and Daddy。 Then I'm leaving them with another officer in case Daddy goes to his friend Mickey Cohen with an offer for my head。 Then I'm going after Georgie。〃
Emmett came back and handed me four U。S。 passport holders and a sheet of paper。 Madeleine said； 〃If you turn in those warrants； we'll ruin you in court。 Everything about us will e out。〃
I stood up and kissed the brass girl hard on the lips。 〃Then we'll all go down together。〃
* * *
I didn't drive home to write it all out。 I parked a few blocks from the Sprague manse and studied the list of addresses； spooked by the juice Madeleine had shown； by her sense of how deep our stalemate went。
The houses were situated in two locales： Echo Park and Silverlake； and across town in Watts…bad territory for a fifty…three…year…old white man。 Silverlake…Echo was several miles due east of Mount Lee； a hilly area with lots of twisting streets； greenery and seclusion； the kind of terrain a necrophiliac might find soothing。 I drove there； five addresses circled on Emmett's sheet。
The first three were plain deserted shacks： no electricity； broken windows； Mexican gang slogans painted on the walls。 No '39 Ford pickup 6B119A nearby…only desolation acpanied by Santa Ana winds blowing down from the Hollywood Hills。 Heading toward the fourth pad just after midnight was when I got the idea…or the idea got me。
Kill him。
No public glory； no public disgrace…private justice。 Let the Spragues go or coerce a detailed confession out of Georgie before you