Ed braked short. 'One last question. At the Bureau you implied that you knew Patchett and Sid Hudgens were planning to work an extortion racket.'
'I don't recall endorsing that statement.'
'You didn't dispute it.'
'I was tired and bored.'
'You endorsed it, implicitly. And it's in Jack Vincennes' deposition.'
'Then perhaps Vincennes lied about that part. He used to be quite a celebrity. Wouldn't you also call him quite a selfdramatist?'
An opening. 'Yes.'
'And do you think you can trust him?'
Fake chagrin oozing. 'I don't know. He's my weak point.'
'So there you are. Mr. Exley, are you going to arrest me?'
'I'm beginning to think it wouldn't do any good. What did White say when he told you to come in for questioning?'
'Just to come clean. Did you show him Vincennes' deposition?'
The truth--make her grateful. 'No.'
'I'm glad, because I'm sure it's full of lies. Why didn't you show it to him?'
'Because he's a limited detective, and the less he knows the better. He's also a protege of a rival officer on the case, and I didn't want him passing information to him.'
'Are you speaking of Dudley Smith?'
'Yes. Do you know him?'
'No, but Bud speaks of him often. I think he's afraid of him, which means that Smith must be quite a man.'
'Dudley's brilliant and vicious to the core, but I'm better. And look, it's late.'
'Can I give you a drink?'
'Why? You spat in my face today.'
'Well, given the circumstances.'
Her smile made his smile easy. 'Given the circumstances, one drink.'
Lynn got out of the car. Ed watched her move: high heels, a shit day--but her feet hardly touched the ground. She led him to her building, unlocked the bottom door and hit a light.
Ed walked in. Exquisite--the fabrics, the art. Lynn kicked off her shoes and poured brandies; Ed sat on a sofa--pure velvet.
Lynn joined him. Ed took his drink, sipped. Lynn warmed the glass with her hands. 'Do you know why I invited you in?'
'You're too inteffigent to try to wrangle a deal, so I'll guess you're just curious about me.'
'Bud hates you more than he loves me or anyone else. I'm beginning to see why.'
'I don't really want your opinion.'
'I was leading up to a compliment.'
'Some other time, all right?'
'I'll change the subject then. How's Inez Soto handling the publicity? She's been all over the papers.'
'She's taking it poorly, and I don't want to talk about her.'
'It galls you that I know so much about you. You don't have information to compete.'
Move the wedge. 'I have Vincennes' deposition.'
'Which I suspect you doubt the truth of.'
Throw the change-up. 'You mentioned that Patchett financed some early Raymond Dieterling films. Can you elaborate on that?'
''Why? Because your father is associated with Dieterling? You see the disadvantages of being the son of a famous man?'
No hink, a deft touch with the knife. 'Just a policeman's question.'
Lynn shrugged. 'Pierce mentioned it to me in passing several years ago.'
The phone rang--Lynn ignored it. 'I can tell you don't want to talk about Jack Vincennes.'
'I can tell you do.'
'I haven't seen much in the news about him lately.'
'That's because he flushed everything he had down the toilet. _Badge of Honor_, his friendship with Miller Stanton, all of it. Sid Hudgens getting murdered didn't help, since _Hush-Hush_ owed half its filth to Vincennes' shakedowns.'
Lynn sipped brandy. 'You don't like Jack.'
'No, but there's part of his deposition that I believe absolutely. Patchett has carbons of Sid Hudgens' private dirt files, including a carbon of a file on Vincennes himself. You can do yourself some good by acknowledging it.'
If she bit she'd start now.
'I can't acknowledge it, and the next time we speak I'll have a lawyer. But I can tell you that I think I know what such a file would contain.'
First wedge in place. 'And?'
'Well, I think the year was 1947. Vincennes got involved in a gunfight at the beach. He was under the influence of narcotics and shot and killed two innocent people, a husband and wife. My source has verification, including the testimony of an ambulance deputy and a notarized statement from the doctor who treated Jack for his wounds. My source has blood test results that show the drugs in his system and testimony from eyewitnesses who didn't come forth. Is that information you'd suppress to protect a brother officer, Captain?'
The Malibu Rendezvous: Trashcan's glory job. The phone rang--Lynn let it go. Ed said, 'Jesus Christ,' no need to fake.
'Yes. You know, when I read about Vincennes I always thought he had some very dark reasons for persecuting dope users, so I wasn't surprised when I found that out. And, Captain? If Pierce did have file carbons, I'm sure he would have destroyed them.'
Her last bit rang fake--Ed played a lie off it. 'I know Jack loves dope, it's been a rumor around the Bureau for years. And I know you're lying about the files and I know Vincennes would do anything to get his file back. You and Patchett shouldn't underestimate him.'
'The way you've underestimated Bud White?'
Her smile came on like a target--he thought for a second that he'd hit her. She laughed before he could; he leaned in and kissed her instead. Lynn pulled back, then kissed back; they rolled to the floor shedding clothes. The phone rang--Ed kicked it off the hook. Lynn pulled him inside her; they rolled, moved together, trashed furniture. It ended as fast as it started--he could feel Lynn reaching to peak. Seconds apart for that, good enough, rest. His story laid out between sighs, like it was a burden too heavy to carry.
Rogue cop Jack Vincennes, on dope and too hot to handle. He'd do anything to get his file back, he had to get that file. Captain E. J. Exley had to use him for what he knew--but Vincennes was doped up, boozed up, going psycho on him--
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Bud hit L.A. at dawn, off the midnight bus down from Frisco. His city looked strange, new--like everything else in his life.
He got a taxi and dozed; he kept snapping awake to Ellis Loew: 'It sounds like a great case, but multiple homicides are tricky and Spade Cooley is a well-known figure. I'll put a D.A.'s Bureau team on it and _you stay out of it for now_.' Cut to Lynn: calls, the phone off the hook, smothered. Strange, but like her--when she wanted to sleep she wanted to sleep.
He couldn't believe his life, it was just too goddamn amazing.
The cab dropped him off. He found a note on his door-- 'Sergeant Duane W. Fisk' on the letterhead.
Sgt. White--
Captain Exley wants to see you immediately (something pertaining to _Whisper_ magazine and a body under a house). Report to l.A. immediately upon your return to Los Angeles.
Bud laughed, packed a bag: clothes, his paper stash--the hooker killings, the Nite Owl--Dudley's for the
