Brown smiled. “Elmer’s not as dumb as most folks think he is.”
Parker said, “Let’s not get carried away.”
Elmer yukked. The coffee diffused the booze. Son, you’re in the catbird seat.
“Okay, then. We got our three big cases, going back to ’31. You two, me, Buzz, Kay, and maybe Ashida want a pure solve on the klubhaus job — but Jack H. and the Dudster want to put the onus off on some shines. And you two are all ditzed, because Bill clean-solved the Watanabe job and kept mum on it, and our pal Jim Davis killed them Watanabes, and you don’t want that leaking out, and Dud told Joan Conville that he intends to pentothal Jim D. to see if he spills any crossover leads to the klubhaus caper. One of you’s our next chief. Jack Horrall’s afraid of Bill, because his grand-jury plays served to get the Werewolf sprung, and Jack can’t retaliate. You want my opinion on that?”
Parker sighed. “Give us your esteemed opinion, Sergeant.”
Elmer stood up and kicked blood back in his legs. He scratched his balls and worked up some brain juice.
“Judge and jury will sure as shit acquit Fletch B., Call-Me-Jack, Ray Pinker, and the Jamie kid, along with all them others. That’s for-sure gospel — regardless of Bill’s testimony. While I’ve got you here, I’ll tell you why. J. Edgar Hoover don’t want bad blood between the Feds and the PD, not when we got this here Jap internment to deal with. You got a spell of time to make hay on the klubhaus job, before the acquittals come down, and Jack H. figures he can pull the plug on the job and give Dud his marching orders, and then it’s good-bye, jigaboos.”
Parker sighed anew. “You’re right, Thad. He’s not as dumb as folks think.”
Elmer hoot-hooted. Brown said, “Meeks told us that Ed Satterlee offered you a shot to listen to the Fed’s phone and bug recordings and delete your own voice. I’d like you to provide that same service for Captain Parker and me.”
Elmer plunked back down in his chair. He hooked his thumbs in his suspenders and put his feet up on the desk.
“In exchange for what?”
Parker said, “In exchange for let bygones be bygones. That means any and all illegal and questionable shit that you’ve pulled since New Year’s. That stated, I’ll add that we’re easing Breuning and Carlisle off the job. We’re keeping you and Meeks, Ashida and Blanchard on. Dudley’s permitting Ashida to do field interviews, and Thad and I are convinced that Ashida wants a clean solve, regardless of his relationship with Dudley. I’m not going to tell Dudley that Kay revealed the contents of Joan’s diary to you and Ashida, and the only attendant risk here is what Ashida might tell Dudley himself.”
Brown lit his pipe and shook out the match. He raised his feet and nudged Elmer’s feet off the desk.
“That leaves Blanchard and Ashida, you and Meeks as our line detectives. Ashida’s driving back to Baja tonight. We’re swearing him in as a war hire when he returns. The four of you will have carte blanche. We’ll ride out interference from Jack Horrall, if and when it occurs.”
Elmer snagged the full gist. “You’re freezing Dudley out. You’re driving him to make some dumb play that will put his dick in the wringer.”
Parker lit a cigarette. “Don’t say it, Thad. ‘He’s not as dumb as most folks think.’ ”
Brown said, “Our biggest concern is the guns. I rebraced Harold John Miciak last night, and bought him out of a GTA bounce in Fresno. He fleshed out the statement he gave Breuning and Carlisle, as it pertained to the guns. He told me that Rice and Kapek sold all the guns to pachuco right-wingers. We’re compiling a roust list off the Feds’ subversive files. You’re the first man on the Crash Squad we’ve shared this lead with. It’s a bigger deal than I let on at the briefing this morning. We’re going in with shotguns and sedition-stamped grand-jury subpoenas. There’ll be three two-man flanks. That’s Captain Parker and me, you and Meeks, Blanchard and Ashida.”
Elmer wolf-whistled. “You are taking a very dicey risk with Ashida. You are risking him spilling everything we get to the Dudster.”
Parker gulped. Brown gulped. Their throat doohickeys bobbed.
Brown passed Elmer a snapshot. It was a niteclub-type deal. The backdrop denoted Club Alabam. A jolly trio mugged in a booth. Dig said trio:
Meyer Gelb, Jean Staley, Tommy Glennon.
Elmer wolf-whistled, looooooooow. Brown said, “It was in with Miciak’s property, up in Fresno. It’s date-stamped February 27, which makes it one week ago. Miciak refused to comment on the picture. I had some hayseed cops hard-nose him, to no fucking avail.”
Elmer brain-strained it. Jean’s allegedly back east. Jean’s mail-drop play via Bev’s Switchboard. Smut pix with klubhaus backdrops. Tommy G.’s La Jolla PO box.
Parker crushed his cigarette. “Here’s the big question. What’s a Nazi like Glennon doing with two Communists like Staley and Gelb?”
Elmer lit a cigar. “I think I know where Tommy is.”
Brown said, “Then go find him and arrest him.”
Elmer scrammed. He booked out of box #4 and cut back to box #2. Bad Buzz still sat there. He looked un-Buzz-like forlorn.
“I know where Tommy the G. is. Let’s go get him.”
87
(Ensenada, 4:00 P.M., 3/6/42)
Silver bars to gold oak leaves. The SIS command. We mustn’t mince words here. Juan Lazaro-Schmidt pulled strings.
Ralph Melnick jumped to lieutenant colonel. Fourth Interceptor promoted him and called him back stateside. It occurred abruptly. Colonel Ralph threw a party.
At Major Smith’s new office. It was Colonel Ralph’s ex-office. It was twice as large and twice as grand. Mess orderlies served cake and champagne. Dudley invited guests.
Hideo Ashida and Juan Pimentel. Claire, Beth, and Young Joan. Salvy Abascal. The two Lazaro-Schmidts.
Dudley circulated. He tossed the FDR portrait out the window and drew scattered applause. Captain Juan raised a toast. “To outgoing despots and incoming Sturmbannfürers.”
The right-flankers loved it. Claire and Young Joan scowled. Colonel Melnick giggled. He loathed Double-Cross Rosenfeld.
Beth looked perplexed. She did not comprehend repartee or lovers’ passion. She’d witnessed his tiff with Claire. Both parties raised welts and drew blood. He belt-lashed Claire. His severed ear required stitches.
The moment drew nigh. Colonel Melnick called for order. The guests moved in close. Dudley clicked his heels. Constanza removed his silver shoulder bars and pinned on his gold oak leaves.
Major Dudley Liam Smith. The bluff Irish lad ascends.
Constanza kissed him, full on the lips. Beth gasped. Young Joan smirked. Claire wheeled and walked off through the squadroom. Dudley heard glass break. Dudley smelled sprayed champagne.
The orderlies made haste. They moved out with towels and whisk brooms. Claire’s display of pique upstaged him. Constanza hooked two fingers through his belt loops and tugged. They bumped hips and kissed again. It restated her claim.
The guests dispersed. They shuffled and formed war-chat cliques. Hideo caught his eye. Dudley gestured toward the squadroom. Hideo filed out first.
Dudley joined him. He smelled Dom Pérignon ’29. The orderlies whisked up glass shards. Hideo sat at the duty sergeant’s desk. Dudley pulled a chair up.
“Is something troubling you, lad? I doubt that it’s the trifling domestic scene you just witnessed.”
Ashida said, “The klubhaus aspect of our cases troubles me. I think there’s a very simple solution at the heart of it. I would like your consent to explore all possibilities in my field interviews, before Chief Horrall orders you to implement a more expedient solution.”