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〃Uh…huh。 I got a job at the Camp Cooke PX。 This soldier beat me up； and this rich man； this award…winning contractor； he saved me。 He's my stepdaddy now。 He lets me be with whoever I want to be with so long as I e home to him。 He bought me my nice white car and all my nice black dresses； and he gives me back rubs 'cause he's not my real daddy。〃
〃That's the kind of dad to have。 My dad bought me a bicycle once； and he gave me a couple of bucks toward a soap box derby racer。 But he never bought me any Packards； that's for damn sure。 You've got yourself a real sugar daddy； Betty。〃
I knelt down lower and peered through the window crack； all I could see were dark shapes on a bed in the middle of the room。 Madeleine/Betty said； 〃Sometimes my stepdaddy doesn't like my boyfriends。 He never makes a fuss； because he's not my real daddy and I let him give me backrubs。 There was this one boy； a policeman。 My stepdaddy said he was wishywashy with a mean streak。 I didn't believe him； because the boy was big and strong； and he had these cute buck teeth。 He tried to hurt me； but Daddy settled his hash。 Daddy knows how to deal with weak men who suck around money and try to hurt nice girls。 He was a big hero in the First World War and the policeman was a draft dodger。〃
Madeleine's accent was slipping； moving into another voice； low and guttural。 I braced myself for more verbal lashing； the soldier said； 〃Draft dodgers should either be deported to Russia or shot。 No； shooting's too merciful。 Hanged by the you know what； that's more like it。〃
Madeleine； a vibrato rasp； a perfect Mexican accent： 〃An axe ees better； no？ The policeman have a partner。 He tie up some loose ends for me…some notes I should not 'ave lef' for a not so nice girl。 The partner beat up my stepdaddy an' run away to May…hee…co。 I draw pictures of a face to be and buy cheap dress。 I hire a detective to find him； an' I make a pageant。 I go down to Ensenada in dees…guise； I wear cheap dress； preten' to be beggar and knock on hees door。 'Gringo； gringo； I need money。' He turn hees back； I grab axe an' chop him down。 I take money he steal from stepdaddy。 Seventy…one thousan' dollar I bring back home。〃
The soldier jabbered； 〃Look； is this some kind of joke？〃 I pulled out my 。38 and cocked the hammer。 Madeleine as Milt Dolphine's 〃rich Mex woman〃 slipped into Spanish； a streak of raspy obscenities。 I aimed through the window crack； the light went on inside； lover boy thrashing himself into his uniform spoiled my shot at the killer。 I saw Lee in a sand pit； worms crawling out of his eyes。
The soldier bolted out the door； half dressed。 Madeleine； slipping into her tight black gown； was an easy target。 I drew a bead； a last flash of her nakedness made me empty the gun into the air。 I kicked the window in。
Madeleine watched me climb over the sill。 Undaunted by gunshots and flying glass； she spoke with soft savoir faire： 〃She was the only thing real to me； and I had to tell people about her。 I felt so contrived next to her。 She was a natural and I was just an imposter。 And she was ours； sweet。 You brought her back to me。 She was what made it so good with us。 She was ours。〃
I mussed up Madeleine's Dahlia hairdo； so that she looked like just another raven…clad floozy； I cuffed her wrists behind her back and saw myself in the sand pit； worm bait along with my partner。 Sirens bared down from all directions； flashlights shined in the broken window。 Out in the Big Nowhere； Lee Blanchard reprised his line from the Zoot Suit riot：
〃Cherchez la femme； Bucky。 Remember that。〃
CHAPTER THIRTY…FIVE
We took the fall together。
Four black…and…whites responded to my shots。 I explained to the officers that it was a lights and siren roll to Wilshire Station…I was booking the woman for Murder One。 At the Wilshire squadroom； Madeleine confessed to the killing of Lee Blanchard； concocting a brilliant fantasy…a lovers' triangle of Lee/Madeleine/Bucky； how she was intimately involved with both of us in the winter of 1947。 I sat in on the interrogation； and Madeleine was flawless。 Seasoned Homicide dicks bought her tale hook； line and sinker： Lee and I rivals for her hand； Madeleine preferring me as a potential husband。 Lee going to Emmett； demanding that he 〃give him〃 his daughter； beating the man half to death when he refused。 Madeleine revengestalking Lee in Mexico； axing him to death in Ensenada。 No mention of the Black Dahlia murder case at all。
I corroborated Madeleine's story； saying that I only recently figured out that Lee had been murdered。 I then confronted Madeleine with a circumstantial run…though on the snuff and coerced a partial confession out of her。 Madeleine was transported to the LA women's jail； and I went back to the El Nido… still wondering what I was going to do about Ramona。
The next day I returned to duty。 At the end of my tour a team of Metro goons was waiting for me in the Newton locker room。 They grilled me for three hours； I ran with the fantasy ball Madeleine started rolling。 The grit of her story and my wild departmental rep carried me through the interrogation…and nobody mentioned the Dahlia。
Over the next week the legal machinery took over。
The Mexican government refused to indict Madeleine for the murder of Lee Blanchard…without a corpse and backup evidence extradition proceedings could not be initiated。 A Grand Jury was called up to decide her fate； Ellis Loew was slated to present the case for the City of Los Angeles。 I told him I would testify only by deposition。 Knowing my unpredictability only too well； he agreed。 I filled up ten pages with lies on the 〃lovers' triangle；〃 fantasy embellishments worthy of romantic Betty Short at her best。 I kept wondering if she would appreciate the irony。
Emmett Sprague was indicted by a separate Grand Jury…for health and safety code violations stemming from his mobfronted ownership of dangerously faulty property。 He was given fines in excess of 50；000…but no criminal charges were filed。 Counting the 71；000 that Madeleine stole from Lee； he was still close to twenty grand in the black on the deal。
The lovers' triangle hit the papers the day after Madeleine's case went to the Grand Jury。 The Blanchard…Bleichert fight and the Southside shootout were resurrected； and for a week I was big…time local stuff。 Then I got a call from Bevo Means of the Herald： 〃Watch out； Bucky。 Emmett Sprague's about to hit back； and the shit's about to hit the fan。 'Nuff said。〃
It was Confidential magazine that nailed me。
The July 12 issue ran an article on the triangle。 It featured quotes from Madeleine； leaked to the scandal rag by Emmett。 The brass girl had me ditching out on duty to couple with her at the Red Arrow Motel； stealing fifths of her father's whiskey to see me through nightwatch； giving her the inside lowdown on the LAPD's traffic ticket quota system and how I 〃beat up niggers。〃 Innuendos pointed to worse offenses…but everything Madeleine said was true。
I was fired from the Los Angeles Police Department on grounds of moral turpitude and conduct unbeing an officer。 It was the unanimous decision of a specially convened board of inspe