Chapters
Everyone comes to Rusty's
by
Big Daddy
Book One
Chapter 1: Winona Hates Vandome
BOSTON. NOV. 1960. DAY ONE. 1430.
At first, Osborne thought he could get away with driving the Jag to
Vandome's.
The day had started out warm, but by the time he finished his last phone
call to Rebecca and hit the road after the dinner he was feeling the
weather through his heavy coat, past his suit, and into his bones.
Charles Osborne had wanted to wear warmer, less formal clothing, but
this was a trip to Vandome. A black suit and tie were needed here.
Vandome was old money with the attitudes to match. And while Osborne was
an architect according to his tax forms, he already knew he would not be
talking about buildings or anything like buildings to him.
They would most likely talk about Winona Ryder.
Ryder was an actress. She had won the Oscar last year after a comeback
that blew the valves off of everybody in Hollywood. Vandome only wanted
to help her. And Ryder hated him and his help.
Charles recalled the last time the three of them were together. Newport.
Almost four years now. The near riot was the only thing anybody could
not blame on him or his people.
He remembered her standing flat footed on the docks and yelling at the
old man and Vandome just taking it. So did he.
It was clearly understood they were to have no connection with her, no
more trying to "help" her in her life, career, or choice of men . . or
movies . . .
There were laws, and there were jails.
Vandome walked away into the fog. Charles went back to a complex in
Miami. His crew simply turned on it's collective heal and dissolved into
the trackless paths of their lives . . .
Charles parked the car and was let in by Frosty, his name for the
butler.
Vandome was waiting in the projection room.
Charles grabbed a seat and watched the movie and waited. There was an
understanding; no talking, or even questions until the show was done.
This one was something.
Like all of Vandome's favorites, it was silent and no less then 30 years
old. But it was not your run of the mill Chaplin print or some Keystone
cop thing. Judging by the titles and the sets, it was the life of Joan
of Arc.
But the movie did a number. The actress looked numb with pain, like she
was going through the ordeal herself. And the cutting was hard to hold
onto . . . lots of close ups of the priests and Joan . . . you never got
a look at the whole room . . .
Osborne could not take his eyes off it . . . it cast a spell.
d**n weird . . . the cameras would cut to birds in flight and the body
burning at the stake . . . oh, man . . .
The lights went up and his eyes were locked into a gaze with Vandome.
Relentless. No pity. And judging every inch. He would speak when spoken
to now.
"Mr. Osborne, you have just watched "Passion of Joan of Arc". It is
considered the best silent movie ever made. It stars a lady who made
only that movie. In America, most prints of this film run just over an
hour. The movie has survived two burnings. The original was long
supposed to be lost.
"Now it has come to my attention ONE print has surfaced. Clean. Clear.
Longer then the American prints. Historically invaluable. Winona Ryder
wishes to buy it and use it as the crown jewel of a collection that
celebrates the achievement of the female director and producer in film.
"This would not normally cause me to break my word to Miss Ryder and
call you. But a collector from the Orient wishes to also buy it and put
it in a vault. And my information leads me to believe he will use
methods that are not on the up and up . . .
" I want to prevail on you to attend the auction and make sure that
everything goes square. If she is outbid, she is outbid, fine. I just
don't want any SANDBAGGING.
"There will be a level playing field."
Osborne waited. With Vandome, the second thing he mentioned was always
the real reason he called you over.
"I also would appreciate it greatly if you could pay a visit to the
LOS ANGELES division of the FBI. I would like you to look into a rumor that
J. Edgar Hoover is about to put Miss Ryder on a blacklist because she
has dated a negro.
"I am from the old school Mr. Osborne, what people do in the home is of
no concern to me, and neither should it be to any government."
"Mr. Vandome, we promised Miss Ryder to never call her or see her
again . . . "
"And I am not asking you to . . . make no contact with her. Just make sure
my wishes are met . . . You can see the FBI without talking to her . . .
and a public auction IS a public auction."
"I appreciate your concern, sir. But things are busy right now. The New
York project is needing my constant attention . . . "
"You will also be allowed to expunge the records of all your crew from
the last job . . . my FBI contact will deliver the files into your hands
. . ."
Loyalty was always a vice for Charles . . . besides, it made good
business . . . he would need the crew and with their records clean . . .
Big Daddy had dodged 4 bullets on that last job, got nailed with a 5th
and simply vanished.
Jen had held a gun into the mouth of a surprised FBI agent, said, 'Oh,
LETS try and get ALONG' to him, waited for the other 3 to drop their
guns on his mumbled commanded, twirled it like Wyatt Earp when their
guns were dropped, then sped away.
A highway patrol in Kentucky reported her car on her trip back west. It
was the only sighting in 10 states.
A year later after some digging, he found out Jen was driving cab in
LOS ANGELES under yet ANOTHER new name. And he received a letter from a nurse
in the Texas panhandle telling him a gun shot victim had requested
Charles be told "everything was fine" . . . the gunshot victim had
identified himself as "Robert Johnson" and claimed his occupation as
guitarist. It was a joke only a blues fan could dig . . . and both Charles
and Big Daddy knew their blues.
Osborne took the money and left. He didn't even open the envelope to see
if it was enough.
It always was.
Chapter 2: Chris Chao's Hawaiian Vacation
WAIKIKI. NOV. 1960. DAY THREE. 1130.
Every time Christopher Chao closed his eyes he saw the stewardess
smiling at him.
She had long shoulder length hair and eyes so deep you could bathe in
them. They had met on the flight to Honolulu and she promised to call
him later . . . American ladies with their hair down could always get
him, especially when the rest of the crew had theirs up in tight little
buns that seemed to be waxed.
Now as he lay on the beach at Waikiki he could afford to wait for the
call that might come or not, and not be too upset if he had only a steak
to look at for lunch.
He turned over on his flat belly and briefly touched the scar across his
abdomen from his last job in America. He had seen Jen with the gun, he
watched Big Daddy topple from the shot, but he never saw the knife . . .
He had to smile. That Big Daddy was a HEAVY son of a gun! They were
holding each other up and bleeding all over the place and laughing out
of shock, fear, and the adrenaline of knowing you were alive . . .
bleeding like bulls, but alive!
"Mr. Chao?"
". . . yes . . ." It was a hotel gopher . . . dressed in whites. He was
standing beside Chao's hammock . . . nervous to be waking the tourist
up.
"A Mr. Abernathy wishes you to join him. In the sauna. At the hotel. "
Chris Chao had a face that could smile and yet darken at the same time.
This was a free vacation for him, courtesy of the Singapore government.
They were very pleased with his results from the last job he had done.
Quiet. Professional. But mostly the quiet was what had pleased them.
There was no Mr. Abernathy. It was an American comic that he read back
home in the paper. It had the distinction of being both stupid and
poorly drawn at the same time. It was so bad his grandchildren would
probably still be reading it when he was long gone.
He had complained for years about it . . . so this meant that somebody
from the 'office' was here for him. And it was important. Important
enough to send a verbal message on a tourist flight here . . .
This was going to be really something.
He was out of the hammock in a fluid leap and on his feet following the
gopher. Let him go first. After all, it might be a trap.
When he saw the first detective in the pressed blue suit waiting 5 yards
inside the hotel door he knew it would be "The Overseer'.
This was a "man at work" sign in human form. From the hotel door to the
sauna the number of civilians would drop dramatically and the number of
guards -both seen and unseen-would go up.
Chao was wrong. By the time he had walked across the gym, past the
whirlpool and over to the wooden sauna door, he had counted no more body
guards. All it took for the director of Intelligence in Singapore to see
him in security was the one guard at the door and an 'Out of Order' sign
they probably bought right here in America after they landed. The one
guard would be armed. A formality. But the herding would be done by that
cheap plastic sign . . . and the American habit of following them.
He changed and left his clothing with the guard who was now just past
the sauna at the whirlpool.
He might have known. His employer prided himself on running a cost
effective intelligence network that stayed below everyone's radar. Even
most police organizations didn't know who his boss was or what exactly
he did.
The Overseer was waiting inside the wood lined room on a bench. His
potbelly was covered by the towels. Otherwise his bearing was the same
as if Chao had just stepped into his office.
"Christopher . . . your father sends his greetings."
"Oh, no, no, no . . ." the Overseer added" Everything is fine. He is
still bemused by your career, but nevertheless proud of you . . . you
are the first member of your family to not be a member of the Singapore
Police Force in a long time. But your detective agency is doing well,
and is respected. And I think he has even figured out you do work for us
. . .
"My boy, I would like you to take a week and go to mainland
America . . . with your contacts, we feel you could do a bit of a check for
us about a couple of-- what do they call them?--"loose ends". . .
"And what could be so important as to cause you to fly all the way out
here when a simple phone call could have told me this? Such an
inconvenience must mean very grave news . . . "
"Not GRAVE as much as delicate." the Overseer replied.
"Christopher, the other night, there was a murder. Call girl. It was
occasioned over price, and we had to shoot the man involved when he took
it into his head to shoot at us with the same firearm.
"It was one of the Hungarian's men . . . he is moving again and we want him
tracked. 'Accounting' told us he is moving money . . . and we cannot
figure out why.
"Then last night, we clean up after this dead man's mess, and HE has
maps of Las Vegas and Oakridge, and also other sites that play host to
nuclear weapons or churn out nuclear power.
"If the Hungarian is wanting to buy an A bomb again, we would like him
to be stopped. But we don't KNOW . . . He may only be trying to buy up
uranium on the black market like he did last time before that.
"We would like the Americans to stay asleep, Christopher. They are
sleeping heavily right now, having just gone through the Presidential
election of 1960 and are paying even less attention then they normally
do to affairs that concern us . . . Let us KEEP things that way, shall we?
Go in, deal with the problem and leave. If our friend is trying to buy a
bomb like he did last time or build a bomb and sell it to HEAVENS KNOW
WHO, don't wait. I'm SURE the Americans would only agree to the
retirement of such a dangerous fellow, so let's not BOTHER them about
it . . . all that PAPERWORK and such . . . and you KNOW how they sometime forget
to send copies . . . let's just do them a FAVOR and keep this in-house,
and they needn't get EXCITED . . .
"This also means, if you can, NOT to have your American friends visit if
you can possibly help it . . . and especially that "Wolf" charmer . . . the
boy is spirited, but I somehow doubt he has ever had a quiet day in his
life. Please try not to invite him over.
"Now we just received word that Charles Osborne will be heading to Vegas
as well . . . he is stopped over on the west coast for a night or two with
your old slumber pals Jayne Mansfield and Winona Ryder.
"Is HE working our side of the street? DO find out, Christopher . . .
"That's all for now. That's a good lad. Go enjoy the rest of the day.
You have the red eye flight to LOS ANGELES tonight."
"Where am I staying when I connect to Vegas?"
"Rusty's. Everybody stays at Rusty's"
BOSTON. NOV. 1960. DAY ONE. 1545.
"Rebecca Francisco, please . . ."
A pause while the munchkins at MGM let her out of the cage they kept
contract writers in.
"Francisco . . ."
"Hey, glamorous . . ."
"Charles . . . what did the fossil want this time?"
"Wants a ref for a film auction and for me to dicker with the FBI."
"Winona?"
"Yeah . . ."
"She won't like that . . . especially after this week . . ."
"NOW what???"
"Some heavy stuff . . . we were at our watering hole last night, and Amber
tells me that all the girls are going to be busy next week because the
FBI is coming to LOS ANGELES and making up their watch list for the year like
they always do just before J. Edgar passes out the bonuses . . .
But dig this . . . the 1961 watch list is also including another list of
celebs that have been bothered by fans . . . not just stars that are on
Hoover's bad political side. And Winona MAKES BOTH LISTS . . . Somebody
has been really trying to get to her and she's taking it seriously."
"Where is she now?"
"Over at Jayne Mansfield's . . . the only bombshell in town with a 160
I.Q. They are both closet and not-so-closet bookworms. Don't be fooled
by the bimbo routine . . . Jayne is really on the ball . . . she'd have to
be to have engineered the stuff she's pulled off publicity wise."
"Isn't that her agent?"
"You'd think so until you check out the track record of the other
clients . . . only Jayne comes close to those kind of results . . . and her
stunts are original besides . . . and I guess Jayne is still crying the
blues over that pal of yours from the Mysterious East . . . Winona
doesn't mind him HALF as much as the rest of your circus, he at least
had some reserve . . . I guess he and Jayne just hit it off, but you were
there . . . they just talked and talked then suddenly disappeared inside Rusty's . . . and didn't talk anymore."
"Yeah, what happened?"
"Broke up . . . he wasn't leaving his career as a P.I., and she is not
letting a romance stop her . . . Pity . . . she says he was the first
guy she didn't dumb it down for . . . Totally hot too, I guess the dirty
details even had Winona blushing . . . "
"O-o-kay . . . hey . . . tell me about "Passion of Joan of Arc"
". . . Hey, that's not your usual drive-in raunch, there
cowboy . . . "Passion" was made by this European, Carl Dryer, I think, total
box office bomb, but everybody says it is like this ESSENTIAL silent
film . . . the girl, Falconetti, was a waitress according to legend, and
her eyes just BURN you when you see this . . . plays Joan . . . now for a
silent film, it has had a weird distribution history . . . I guess the
church ran off a bunch of copies and used it in Sunday schools all over
to teach kids . . . What's it to YOU?"
"Vandome says there is a full copy . . . it's supposed to be auctioned off
and that's the one I have to ref . . . Ryder wants it for a female film
show . . . how valuable would it be compared to the version running in
America now?"
"More then you'd think . . . you won't make "Gone with the Wind" money
with it, but every film society and school would want and need the full
copy. d**n, she's smart . . . with that, she'd be set with a steady,
reliable income that would boost her image as a arts benefactor too . .
."
"Money, how much??"
"That's the thing . . . ever hear of "Greed"? It's the Maltese Falcon of
silent films . . . lost and never seen again . . . this 4 hour flick
that has been rumored to be in the MGM vaults for decades . . . nobody has
ever found it . . . but the money that is talked around would easily top
the millions . . . and nobody even knew that "Passion" was around in
director's cut . . . it could exchange hands for a kings' ransom . . ."
"I guess I'm coming out to the coast to hang around'
"How long do you want to be tied up here for?"
"Book me for Thursday until next Thursday . . ."
"Anybody else coming?"
"Not a chance . . . they all have federal records now, and that's one of
the reasons I'm taking this one . . . I owe them that much at least . .
. Vandome is gonna fix it with the LOS ANGELES branch of the FBI."
"What about the Singapore P.I?"
"Why would he show? This one is strictly local . . . I doubt he would
care about an art sale . . ."
". . . just as well, Jayne really tumbled for him . . . your kids got
shot up pretty bad last time and I don't think she'd take kindly to gun
play with her lover . . ."
"EX lover . . ."
". . . lover . . ."
"Goodbye, Rebecca . . ."
Chapter 3: A Tragedy Seen Through Confidential Documents
DOCUMENT CLASSIFIED. CONFIDENTIAL, ACCORDING TO KANSAS STATE PENAL CODE, KANSAS STATE DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS AND FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY. POSSESSION, TRANSMISSION, COMMUNICATION OF DOCUMENT SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION. LEVEL 4 CLEARANCE.
-DR. RALEIGH CHASE.
Assessment of Kenneth
Holden
From: Dr. Clyde Walden'
To: Dr Raleigh Chase
White male, 6'2''. Mid to late 40's. Inadequate birth records prevent
more accurate age knowledge. Held in DR. FOWLER'S HOME FOR INDIGENT AND
ORPHAN BOYS, Kansas City, Kansas. Arrived as foundling circa 1920.
Destruction of facility prevents exact admittance knowledge.
Systematically abused by Dr. Fowler and staff. See KANSAS CITY POLICE
PHOTO #735: "BLACK JACKS, BATONS, CATTLE PRODS USED ON CHILDREN". See
KANSAS CITY POLICE PHOTO #730:"BED RIGGED TO GIVE ELECTRIC SHOCKS"
For death of Dr. Fowler, burning of orphanage, trial of "KANSAS CITY
SEVEN". See KANSAS CITY STAR; OCT. 03 1932. Summary: After setting fire
to the orphanage, subject walked out to crowd and police and declared:
'I
did it. I killed the son of a b . . . ". Dr. Fowler found hung in office.
Autopsy inconclusive as to murder, suicide. All "Kansas City Seven"
wards displaced to other facilities. To our CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE, Mr.
Holden is the one member to be publicly exposed by "unestablished leaks
to local media".
Readily admits to killing Dr. Fowler. Says he would do it again and that
"Dr. Fowler was a sinner who had to burn." Above statement uttered
without no emotional bearing whatsoever. Also told us what time it was
in same vocal tone.
Has worked and lived without incident for 10 + years as groundskeeper,
handy man, and guard at "SISTERS OF HOPE GIRLS SCHOOL", Kansas.
I.Q. low functioning level . . . approx. that of 12-13 year old boy.
Converted to Catholicism, 1934. Collects Police badges, uniforms, FBI
badges, uniforms, etc. Sleeps at attention to "be on guard for J. Edgar
Hoover and to be always a credit to Americanism".
Major religious pre-occupations. Wears medal to "Blessed St. Joan of
Arc". Collects Joan of Arc memorabilia. Feels "Blessed Joan of Arc"
counseled him to burn Dr. Fowler after breaking his neck. (We must once
again add that there is no substantiated proof linking subject to
neck breaking.)
Major cultural pre-occupations. All walls covered with Winona Ryder
posters, pictures, articles. Claims to have seen every Winona Ryder
movie. Proudest possession is a color 8+10 autographed photo of Winona
Ryder. Has every Elvis Presley record currently in existence. Says both
Elvis and Winona "make him feel better when he is sad" "I can see them
having a bad time and I don't feel like I am the only person who has had
it rough". Feels he wants to help others NOT have sad times.
Numerous pets at school all appear happy, well cared for. See petition
of Nuns of Hope Private Girls School asking for subject to stay.
Incontrovertible that subject has lashed out at others and said, "You
wear glasses, you are my enemy.". However, in the estimation of this
reviewer, it is simplistic in the extreme to label this as an all
purpose "trigger" and that subject will kill all people wearing glasses
because of contact with DR. FOWLER (who wore glasses) See deposition of
Father Wexler, who read to subject from Merton's "The Seven Storey
Mountain" WEARING GLASSES. Subject would merely cry and ask to become a
monk "like Mr. Merton".
Recent conflict on examination are far from being unprovoked. Subject
angered by certain female students who would take advantage of his low
intelligence and impersonate Winona Ryder on phone. Same students caught
breaking into subjects room and defacing his photo collection.
In present environment passive and contributes modesty to community.
Despite functional illiteracy, has learned all parts to play "Arsenic
and Old Lace' and will appear as one of the policemen, showing off his
complete LOS ANGELES Police uniform.
Recent rash of hysteria centering around irresponsible media reports
should not sway board to place subject in Kansas State Hospital for
Criminally Insane.
Beyond the scope of this assessment, but in the authors opinion vital to
be asked is why these reports surfaced NOW. Why subject ALONE was
singled out TO BE EXPOSED AS ONE OF KANSAS CITY SEVEN. Why Dr. FOWLER
was allowed to continue for so long undetected by ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
DR. FOWLER'S list of political contributions to various Kansas City
parties should also be brought to bear, along with knowledge of who
worked for him and was trained by him.
*********************************************
Memo
From: Dr. Raleigh Chase
To: STAFF, Kansas State Hospital for Criminally Insane
Kenneth Holden will be transferred under my DIRECT supervision tonight
to your facility. This follows finding by review board. Subject will be
picked up BEFORE he is to appear in public in play "ARSENIC AND OLD
LACE" for additional security to public.
Our community needs to know that it can feel safe. Such a man, who has a
slavish devotion to both rock and roll and provocative Hollywood
starlets, and who might murder anyone just for the wearing of glasses,
cannot long be let to roam in the community, specifically beside a girls
school housing the daughter of the Deputy Governor of the Great State.
Please be advised we WILL have photography by newspapers, newsreels, and
television broadcasters available for this event.
We will meet at district court at 8:30 pm
*********************************************
ALL POINTS BULLETIN:
WHITE MALE, 6' 2".
ANSWERS TO THE NAME KEN HOLDEN.
WANTED IN CONNECTION FOR DEATHS THIS EVENING OF DR. RALEIGH CHASE, AND
CLYDE HINDS, GUARD.
ALSO WANTED FOR THEFT OF KANSAS STATE TROOPER POLICE CRUISER.
SUBJECT ESCAPED CUSTODY TONIGHT AFTER BECOMING IRRATIONAL WHEN TO BE ESCORTED TO KANSAS STATE HOSPITAL FOR CRIMINALLY INSANE.
SCREAMED "YOU WEAR GLASSES, YOU ARE MY ENEMY' FOLLOWING DR. CHASE
TEARING AN AUTOGRAPHED PHOTO OF W. RYDER AND ANNOUNCING ALL HIS PETS ARE
TO BE DESTROYED.
CLIENT IS NOT ARMED BUT IS CONSIDERED DANGEROUS. CURRENTLY DRESSED IN
COMPLETE UNIFORM OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY POLICE OFFICER, BUT MINUS HAND GUN. HAS
CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE OF POLICE PROCEDURE.
HIGHEST PRIORITY. CONSIDERED DANGEROUS TO ANYONE WEARING GLASSES.
APPROACH WITH CAUTION. USE FORCE IF NECESSARY.
Chapter 4: Winona Calls the Doc
The large room was perfectly quiet.
Three men were sitting behind a desk watching the fourth. He was in
front of a large painting, staring at it with a jewelers glass.
A fifth man entered the room and approached the man concentrating at the
painting.
"Dr Slater?"
Stephen "Doc" Slater straightened up, but still faced the painting.
"Doc" was an honorary title for his investigative work. This guy didn't
get it . . .
"Winona Ryder. She wishes to talk to you. On the phone."
Slater allowed himself the thinnest of smiles across his face.
"Tell her I will call her back and please take a number."
He could imagine the look of the three men sitting behind that desk. It
would have been beautiful to have seen. He also wondered if they had
closed their mouths yet . . . he swore to himself he could hear them
gaping . . . He put his golden wire frame glasses back on and ran his
fingers through his thick mane of salt and pepper hair . . .
"Tony, Tony, Tony . . . " he said in a conversational, low tone, designed to
relax the painter. "This is good, but not great . . . see the brush strokes
on the landscape behind the lady? Too wide, Tony. Way too wide. Dali
would have used a brush about the size of one cat hair for that . . . "
He turned to face the man, cocked his head to one side and said, "YOU
did this? Really?"
Tony admitted he had not. It was the Dutchman. Buxbaum.
Doc Slater did a double take. Then turned again and took a long look.
"Tony, his style has never been as good as yours. I figure you had quit
the business and just worked on the supporting documentation for
forgeries now. That was where you were good this time. You had that
almost right. Not quite. Almost.
"Look, Tony. These guys only want their money back. But the guy on the
left is from the FBI and he WILL take you to prison. I want you to
testify states evidence . . . Then retire to a nice community college I've
found for you . . . TEACH Tony, TEACH."
Tony licked his lips, "And the painting?"
"It's a keeper, Tony. I'm putting it in my museum of great counterfeits.
Come up and see it for free anytime."
Doc Slater had a warm smile he used to defuse most situations and it
worked here. It helped him to keep away from violence . . . a thing he
avoided as a Buddhist.
He got to a phone a dialed a number.
"Hi Winona."
"Steve, just calling you to thank you for the Scarlet dress from "Gone
with the Wind"."
"My pleasure. Can you get over how SMALL LEIGH'S WAIST was??? Tiny
thing!!"
"Frail almost, but strong . . . they would have had her trussed up like a
turkey in that . . . By the way, I LOVED the translations you sent me .
. . almost Isherwood . . ."
"From you that is a compliment . . . " He waited. With Winona Ryder, you
always conducted old business first. Once all accounts were settled, she
would bring new stuff to the table. Very orderly. But you don't win the
1959 Best Actress Oscar without it.
"Steve, can you take a look at a film can for me?"
" Passion of Joan of Arc?'
"Yeah. How would I KNOW it was real? The boys downtown say it is, but I
trust them as far as I can fling a piano. They were totally duped by
that Da Vinci fraud the other year, and the dress they say Claudette
Colbert used to wear was no older then 1957."
Steve laughed. "You can't hide the weave, can you?"
Stop over tonight. I'm serving up a nice lasagna. Bring the Mrs. I also
have a really nice dress for your new exhibit . . . would that and a grand
cover things?"
He would have told her he would do it for free, but that would start
things. Winona Ryder liked to pay people for what they did and never
wanted to get by on her cult of personality. He grinned as he remembered
a time she drove to another parking lot rather then take a free spot
based on the lot guy recognizing her.
"By the way, heard from Charles?"
"No . . . truthfully nothing . . . I don't even know if he knows."
"Don't be silly. The old man will tell him. I don't want them in, Steve.
It killed me that last time. I mean, Jen isn't even really old enough to
drive. and she's waving a gun around and dodging cops on a cross country
chase . . . Remember when Baloo the Bear gets it in the Jungle Book?
Well, it was like that when I saw Big Daddy get shot. Jayne just about
blew a gasket when she saw Chris, and they beat up Charles . . ."
"Winona, I told them NOT to go. Now, Jen is from an UNUSUAL family. Her
Dad was KILLED out west when he wouldn't give in to the mob. The WHOLE
family carries guns and there is NOTHING you can do about that . . . She has
been driving a cab since she was 7 . . . she loves it. ate supper there
once. It was like a target range. Chris got himself a big fat bonus when
he got home, and between you and me, I think he works part time for the
government there. And Big Daddy . . ."
"Yeah, I know, is Big Daddy . . ."
They laughed.
"Last I heard, Charles was schedules to perform with Errol Garner . . ."
"Okay. Look, I'd appreciate any word . . . Where can I get to you ?"
Doc Slater gave her a number.
And Winona Ryder put on her glasses to write it down. She thought
nothing of this fact. Few fans knew she wore contacts and she was at
home.
DAY THREE. Waikiki. 11:30 pm.
Chris Chao walked out of Western Union after sending the following
telegram.
TO: Francis
From: Uncle Ben
Location: Coral Beach, Florida.
Coming home for brief stay. Business. Older Sister sent me. Her name is
Abernathy now so don't run into her accidentally. Older Sister does not
want to see you or have me see you. Does not want the rest of the family
involved.
Might be hard to keep things in family. Try.
Will need some stuff from the hardware store.
****************
Francis was Chao's nick name for "Gen. Wolf", and he hated it. The Older
Sister was his code word for overseer, and the last sentence told
Francis he need arms and quickly.
It would be good to see Wolf again.
**********
FROM THE FILES OF THE KANSAS CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, KANSAS CITY,
KANSAS.
Dear Kansas City Police:
My name is Bertrum Felps. I run the store here in Burlington, Col. I
guess your man has already told you what he did over here the other
night, but if he is anything like he was when he here, I'm guessing he
was too modest for his own good.
Sirs, that man was the bravest officer I have ever seen and he is a
credit to your department and force.
We had a little dust up over here. Seems Bussy is the quarterback of our
local high school football team and he took it into his head to hate that
Johnson boy from out of town.
Now, some say it is the growing pills and special shakes and proteins
that Bussy takes to be big and play football that make him so angry, I
don't know. All I do know is that the Johnson boy asked Gillian, Bussy's
old girlfriend out, and then Bussy went nuts.
He came into the diner her and slapped the kid around hard. Then he
threw the kid out the door.
Well sir, the Johnson kid comes back with a gun and fires a shot into
the roof and Bussy's arm.
Well, the cops are called and Johnson tells them he won't come out and
he is tired of being picked on and he has a whole box of ammo.
Well sir, your man came on the scene first. He didn't even look twice.
He took off his gun belt and walked into the diner with his arms
stretched out and told the kid he only wanted to talk.
By the time OUR policemen got there, they were sitting cross legged on
the diner floor and they talked that way for maybe an hour.
Then that man of yours brought the Johnson boy out and had him give
himself up to the police, but he didn't stop there. He talked to the
local boys and they went to work on Bussy and found out the stuff he was
taking was more then just protein, it was uppers and he got arrested.
The way your cop told it, the kid was lucky Bussy didn't tear his head
off in a drug induced rage and he says he'll testify that using a gun to
slow a berserk speed freak down was "justifiable force".
It was the bravest thing I have ever seen a policeman do, and I want you
to know about it. One thing he said to the kid I heard and it stayed
with me: 'Son, I have killed many men, and it is agony. Don't do it
unless you have to. It is a serious thing. Not like a western at all."
Could you send this man to talk to our young people?
Regards,
B. Felps.
NOTE HANDWRITTEN ON PAGE BELOW LETTER:
"Okay, he's out of Kansas now. Call in the FBI. And for Gods sake keep
this one quiet. Get their boys in that school and find out WHERE HE IS
GOING.
Tell the FBI that maybe Winona Ryder should know . . .
"
Chapter 5: "In the Still of the Night . . . ."
DAY TWO HOT SPRINGS, ARK. 6:30 pm
Charles walked into the club and waved at Erroll. The pianist didn't
even look up.
"It's behind the bar, where you left it . . ."
Charles reached back of the bar and pulled out a Fender that Roy Brown's
man had left behind.
"Your little lady was in here the other night"
"Which one?"
"Heh he he . . . yeah, which one . . . the tiny one . . . the Oscar
winning rabbit, Winona Ryder. Came in with Sam Cooke. Not really the
other night, the other month . . . and not really here, I think it was
back in LOS ANGELES"
"Occupational hazard. You do so many one nighters, you forget which city
is which . . ."
"So what was up with that??"
"Oh, they were just sitting. Nothing more. Looked like those Vets from
Korea that come in to drink and think and not remember . . . something sad
is happening there, but they're not going out either . . ."
"That's the straight goods . . ."
"Charles, my man, when you play for lovers as much as I, you know . . .
THAT is the inside scoop. They were drinking to the departed, and went
home to other people."
By this time, Osborne had plugged in the bass and did a couple of runs.
He had to LISTEN, really listen to Erroll. The man was entirely self
taught and played a game called "guess what key I am playing in now . .
." He pulled a couple of single notes that Wes Montgomery would have
liked.
"VERRRRY beautiful, my man, very nice." Garner did not stop playing . .
."Funny one that I heard the other day . . . some guy in the paper
writes that I am "too beautiful to be jazz" . . . love that . . . same
guy said that "Louis Jordan" was too funny to be good music . . . your
Big Daddy should did that one . . ."
And Charles stopped dead.
Erroll knew at once his mistake . . ."Oh my Gawd, I FORGOT . . . I saw
Big Daddy a while back, he WANTED me to tell you . . . he got his
degree in Texas while he was recovering . . . he is out in LOS ANGELES now,
with clients like Louis Jordan and Phil Silvers . . . oh, I am soo-o-o-o
sorry I forgot . . . The guy looked okay, but he can't play the guitar
anymore . . ."
"The gunshot . . . ?"
"GUNSHOTS . . . he took his shirt off one night, I counted 2 x and o's
grid patterns on his gut . . . hurts him to bend over the body and play
strings . . .
"By the way, keeping up with that guy in Kansas?"
"What guy??"
"You REALLY must use the radio more in that car, or at least get a car
with a radio in it . . . some guy in Kansas went nuts . . . killed a
couple of cops and disappeared . . . papers say he has a thing for Joan
of Arc and that he hates anyone in glasses . . . nothing more . . .
there is film from the thing, but it has all been kept under the lid. .
. they can't put it on the air or they get busted . . ."
Charles felt a chill. He originally thought of adding an extra night
with Erroll. Not now.
************
DAY THREE. CORAL GABLES FLORIDA. 11 pm
"General, the operation is complete."
"You have done a fine job soldier . . ."
"Sir, we have secured the area, the reports have been filed and command
central has been notified. We know you got a message, will you be
leaving this evening?"
"Yes, and I want you to know that recommendations will be going in for
all of you . . . if you want to work for the CIA at anytime, all you
have to do is ask . . . and met the required age . . ."
Wolf had used a ten year old boy as an under cove flunky on this one and
it worked out well. He meant it about the CIA. He would leave the kids
name on an unofficial list, and if the kids remembered and wanted to
pursue it, he would have leg up.
He stopped before he left and smelt the head of the kids collie. They
always smelt like autumn.
The collie would remember him as one of the kindest humans he would ever
know.
DAY ONE LOS ANGELES CA. NOV. 1960 1900 HRS.
The lasagna was done and Winona Ryder and Doc Steve got down to
business. Doc had insisted on no wine.
"Okay, first off, where did it come from?" He asked.
"Don't know. Numbered seller. Numbered account. These pictures are the
only source of info I have. Not that great either . . . The goods are
being held in a vault until auction . . . That bugged me at first . . .
Why all the secret stuff?"
"Not a bad idea, actually" Doc replied" True story: or at least the end
is true. They say that Joan Crawford made some pin ups and some nudie
films when she was young . . ."
This was too much for Winona "CRAWFORD!!!?"
"She was not always the old head of Pepsi. But she tackled the problem
of those pics like the tough corporate honcho she became. She bought
them all up except for one set. Some old guy up in the hills had copies
and he would not sell for any price.
One night his house burnt to the ground . . . with him in it.
If I had something like a full print of "The Passion of Joan of Arc" I
wouldn't let them know where I was either."
"Steve, you can't prove a rumor like that . . ."
"Look, I know where you're coming from. Females in this town have to
work twice as hard as the guys and for half as much. I have no idea of
the truth of the story. But the old guy did die in the fire. And face it
. . . Howard Hughes did worse . . . much much worse . . .
"Okay, first stop the vault. They have to let us inspect it. We get a
look. History is an untidy thing. It clings to all it touches and there
has to be something on it that fills in the vacuum . . . nothing obvious
like a label if the seller has pealed them off, but what about the
print, the reels, the box, piddly stuff he could NOT get all of . . ."
DAY THREE. HOT SPRINGS ARKANSAS NOV. 1960. 1800
The nice man walked into the club wearing a dark suit and a pair of
shiny wing tipped shoes. He could have been a missionary or a salesman
or an undertaker or a gung ho ad man.
He was none of those things. And he did not smile. True, there was a
smile on his face. But the eyes told a different story. The eyes said
the smile was there because a frown might be noticed. The smile was just
enough to let you forget him and not wonder what he was smiling at.
The nice man had practiced that smile for years now.
"Hello Charles."
Erroll Garner broke off the piano in mid stride and asked if he wanted
to be alone with the federal agent.
The nice man, who was an FBI agent. turned and noticed the piano player
for the first time.
"Your shoes" Garner replied to the unasked question . . ."Always wing
tips. Secret Service and FBI even wear the same leather color."
The agent did not ask Garner how he knew this." No, you can stay, Erroll.
We can talk here. Even the FBI likes "Misty"."
Garner had to grin at that one. He started to play, and started to grunt
. . . it was Garner's way. To play a piano was to grunt and moan in
pleasure while he played it.
Charles Osborne had known William Wine since the Army. Coming out, Bill
had headed for the federal service under J. Edgar Hoover, although
Osborne for the life of him could not figure out why.
Bill had kept his sense of humor and had the air of somebody who put up
with the "cleanliness and godliness" memos the director sent out as a
sort of cosmic joke. But something wasn't funny now. And Bill was in
charge of the LOS ANGELES office.
"Heard about Kansas City yet?"
"Only what Erroll told me the other night. Lone nut running around,
right?'
"Okay, couple of things. First, he is a HUGE fan of Winona Ryder. His
bedroom is covered with pictures. That's my angle with you. If we have
to talk with her, I'd rather do it with you. I know your history with
her, but believe me OUR history is worse. And we if have a deal with
her, she'll at least listen to you . . . with us, we've screwed up
things to bad she won't HEAR us, she'll be too busy trying to figure out
our angle, and for this once, there isn't any . . .
"Second. He's out of Kansas now. Turned up in Burlington Colorado the
other night. We're also getting reports from priests that he confessed
to along the route. They can't SAY they took his confession, but they
write to us about this GREAT GUY they just talked to and how they don't
want a MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE."
"Easy to figure out . . . just have a guy in the booth next church down
the line."
"But he keeps changing the routes and all the churches we've staked out
so far have turned up empty when we try and guess where he'll confess to
next.
"That's the next thing. Big Catholic. You heard about the Joan of Arc
thing? He says she told him to hang the creep that tortured him for
years. The Joan of Arc thing is real, and we found out all sorts of stuff
about it. Always wears her medallion. And he had an 8mm movie of her
trial . . . SILENT move of all things. The original turned up . . . it
goes on sale soon in Vegas and he knew about it . . ."
". . . oh man, HOW???"
"Everybody thought he was functionally illiterate, but he wasn't . Not
really. He had his own d**n language and wrote in it. Took him a long
long time to figure out English but he COULD if you left it with him
long enough. He got a bulletin from Joan of Arc's "fan club" I guess you
would call it . . . she only became a saint in the 20's . . .
and they had the details. They've been selling these 8mm copies of the
movie to churches for years . . .
"Now with Winona, that's where the rubber hits the road. We don't know
what he wants with her. There are not fantasies about her. He has never
asked her to marry him and he does not imagine her in his life and we
have no record of him expressing an overpowering urge to DO something
for her . . ."
Bill rubbed his eyes. The strain from plane ride was showing.
"And one last thing. The guy is dressed like a cop. WAS Kansas City. But
we found THAT uniform at a dry cleaners. He took something else, we
don't know what . . . and he watched a LOT of TV."
"Meaning?"
"He doesn't stand out. He acts like the cops on TV. would, not like the
cops in 'REAL LIFE', and the creepy thing is, the public responds to
that MORE. This dude has walked into diners and got free meals up and
down the route. We think he hangs around until he finds out the counter
helps name, then sits down and talks with them like old friends . . .
they GIVE him the meals free . . . they LOVE the idea of a nice,
friendly cop . . . "
"The police man is your friend . . ." Charles recited a little too
coyly for Bill's liking
"Yeah, real Norman Rockwell stuff . . . Now the public doesn't know THAT
. . . and we wish to HELL they never found out about the glasses deal,
but what could we do, somebody talked in Kansas"
"The glasses thing true?"
"We don't know. We think so. Maybe. We don't know. It can help."
"How many has he killed?"
"Just the three. The idiot doctor he broke the windpipe. One blow to the
neck. Strong as a bull. The guard took a shot at him and he grabbed his
own gun and killed the other two. We think the first guard wounded the
second guard. Everybody had .38 police specials. The ballistics are
hairy."
Charles was way ahead now, and did not like it.
"And you want to use Winona Ryder as bait."
Bill became very serious and very still.
"Hoover does. I don't . . . I still run the west coast. And I need
to talk to her . . . you're my in . . . "
"Talk to her about dating "negroes"?"
"Oh, you're good . . . no, not that . . . I don't care. Look, Osborne,
HOOVER makes those lists. We just supply him the data. Do I feel
comfortable telling him the dating habits of stars? No. Do I HAVE to?
Yes.
"A little geography lesson for you, guitarist. Hoover HATES warm
climates. He sends people to the south who have screwed up and who he
doesn't like. Thinks it's a punishment. So usually the agents in charge
in places like Dallas and California are not on the best terms if they
have been transferred.
"I was transferred, but I can take the old dude or leave him alone. But
the agent underneath me was a screw up and he wants back to D.C. HE
found out about Winona Ryder dating Sam Cooke and HE reported it to me.
If I don't pass it along, I get stepped on with extreme vigor.
"I hate this. I hate spying on Americans for going out to dinner with
somebody from another race, and I hate the waste of man power used to
keep that old dude happy with his secret file. But he's getting old,
Charles. Mandatory retirement is in the next few years for him, and it's
just in time.
"We know Winona says she hates you. But we think of it as a sort of
family feud. We think this might mend fences in a hurry.
"So let's leave it at this. I'LL stay in touch. If you absolutely MUST
we send you in to talk. WE try and head Kenneth . . . that's the nut
job's name . . . off at the pass . . . you protect her . . ."
"While you still use her as bait . . ." Charles said softly.
Bill stared back with the wide eyed look of a man who could hate himself
more then even his enemies could.
"Unless I or you can think of something else . . . yes."