Chapters

Everyone comes to Rusty's

by

Big Daddy

Chapter 11: Defending the Past

 

L.A. CA. NOV. 1960 DAY FOUR 2120

The museum was dark and the costumes cast shadows into the lobby. Keaton, Doc and Spence had been strolling the exhibits and were now sitting on chairs facing the front doors after a bathroom break. A museum aide had gone to make some coffee.
"So what was this Essaney that Winona mentioned?" Doc asked to fill the void.

"Old movie studio. . . silent days. Two guys. . . one with the last name starting with the letter "S".  The other guy's last name started with the letter "A". . . Essenay. . . get it?

"Her interest would be the comedies they made. . . not with me. . . but with a lot of ladies and I think Fatty Arbuckle. . . "

"Yeah, you did a couple I think. . . " Spence replied. . . "If ya worked for Arbuckle and you DID, you had to work for Essaney, didn't you?? Uh, names you might remember would be Chaplin, I THINK Tallmadge, maybe Lloyd. . . "

"The casting conditions in those days was extremely fluid as you can tell." Keaton summarized." The other initials she mentioned belonged to D.W. Griffith. . . Birth of a Nation. . . brilliant but twisted film where the Klu Klux Klan is showing riding to the rescue of the beleaguered white woman. . . "

Doc nearly choked on the coffee that had been brought in.

"Yeah, Griffith should have known better. But still, ya gotta take it in the context of the time. . . I mean, Spence here can tell you that when they were doing the promo tour for it, some guys were hired to ride up and down New York dressed as Klansmen and NOBODY thought twice. . . "

"Ours was an unenlightened time," added Spence, totally deadpan. “Actually, Ryder would have an interest in Griffith too, NOT that moral horror, but a later film. . . 1920 or so. . . Way Down East. . . lady gets "in trouble" by a rake, loses the child and relocates to the country. Falls in love with her new employers son, the rake is THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR. . . eventually the son and the girl marry, but not before she has to run across an ice field. THAT would be Winona's interest, I think. They say Gish, who played the girl suffered permanent damage to her hand because it was left in the water too long. . . by the way. . . real people, real ice flows. . . with a rope around the cast to TRY and pull them back if they feel over the edge. . . TOP THAT, MIKE TODD!"

Doc had to laugh.

"See how much FUN history can BE??" added Keaton. "So, what's it like to be in the position of having a movie made of YOUR love life? I found it quite. . . disorientating. . . hard to recognize Donald O'Conner as myself, but it pays the bills and DID get me to work with Mr. Todd that Spence just mentioned.

Keaton was talking about "Autumn in New York". . . the movie based on Doc's novel of his year with his first love. MGM had made a movie staring Audrey Hepburn.

"They should have gotten Ryder to play Charlotte," replied Doc, quietly. "Couple of things you should know. It was not a high-class exclusive restaurant. It was Italian. I ran it. Beautiful place with great food, maybe one of the five top pizzas in New York. She was next door in a museum working on exhibits. Used to come over. She was a full 15 years younger than me. NOT the same age as that Beatty guy. I hear he is gonna be in something with Wood next. . . Splendor in the Grass. . .

"She was maybe a little higher then Winona and I think the check bones were a little different, but beyond that. . . dead ringers. . . Forget the death scene. If Winona had played it, you would not be able to watch the screen if she died on it. . . they would have had to have her die off screen. And to my shame, I was not playing Monopoly with the kids when she came up stairs at Halloween and she thought I was cheating. I WAS cheating. She did it right back. Of course, what movie can show that?

"Wrote the book about how that love had awakened me and got me to think of things other then the next buck. Came out here. Bought this place. Started my path towards enlightenment. Got to join forces with Ryder. . . and now I think WE supply the costumes for her first TV. special."

"Ooh, TV," said Spence in a low voice". . .  tell me about this."

"She's doing a 90 minutes filmed special on the 20th anniversary of "Gone with the Wind". The cast is going fast, and she wants to get as many as she can on film. I have most of the key costumes and she's borrowing them. . . has some guy who is doing a 5 volume history on the Civil War to tell where the author screwed up. . . has David Niven to tell how the author nearly starved making the book and then got screwed out of almost all the money, and then has a couple of black entertainers say how much of a breakthrough Butterfly McQueen winning was."

"Ve-ery nice " Spence observed. “She tears the false history in half, builds sympathy for the lady who got it wrong in the first place, and shows how some good can come out of the whole thing. . . amazing film. . . "

Doc never heard. He got up and headed to the stairs leading to the upper floor instead. He seemed to be staring at something outside. The others followed.
"Wanna know a secret, boys? Ever since this place became a success, I have had one recurring nightmare. There is a man in my dreams standing on the edge of my property just staring. I keep waiting for him to try and steal my stuff, but he never makes a move. . . now . . . LOOK. . . "

They all looked out the second floor window.

Sure enough, there was a man on the edge of the property. But this time, he was coming towards the doors, and it seemed he was staring right up at the three.

Three guards ran up. A small sound like the gasp of an asthmatic. They fell at his feet.
Doc yelled and the alarm went off. Two squad cars started to scream. Red lights rhythmically cut the shadows and the doors were slamming. The stranger vanished.

All three caught their breaths and sighed. Relief.

Then the L.A. Auction House, visible in the night sky from the museum blew up.

L.A. CA. NOV. 1960. DAY FOUR 2140

Jayne stormed into the kitchen and stopped dead at the sight of Big Daddy.

"How did you do THAT??" she demanded.

Big Daddy was tempted to say something like 'hey, it's an omelet, all kitchens are pretty much alike', but saw her anger and decided to play it straight. Looked like she was still sore about Chris and his knife wound. . .

"During the emergency response team arrival. I had a pair of greens and just lugged a case past everybody. You see what you want, and nobody wanted to see me. . . Now, let me remember. . . mushroom, right?"

She picked up a phone at the counter and started to dial.

Big Daddy tossed her a leather address book. It landed with a plop beside the phone.
"Before you dial the cops, call Woody"

"Who's he?"

"The guy we ran to the night of the mess. . . took out my bullets and mended your man."

"No need, Daddy. . . " Chris interjected. "Jayne, Woody is NOT exactly into quality health care if you follow. He only had enough freezing to do one of us. I was gonna toss Big Daddy for it but he decided to take the hit. . . figured my knife wound was worse. . . "

Jayne's eyes grew wide. "Did it HURT to have the bullets removed with no freezing?"

Big Daddy just looked at her with a totally blank expression.

"Yes. Yes, it hurt very much."

Jayne laughed at the comic timing.

"I guess that was a stupid question. . . I'm sorry. . . you just did that line really well."

*************************************

The omelets were done and the group sat around the dining table laughing. Winona pointed a finger after Chris had gone through for Big Daddy about his pretending to be a homosexual.

"Now, I HOPE that was not making fun of homosexuals, pilgrim."

"Nah, it was phobia made to order. Hoover has a thing for a lot of people and Wolf figured that would be the quickest way to give everybody the heebee jeebees. Besides, the ID I'm using is real. There really is a guy with that name who is the head of the Manila Branch of the Jayne Mansfield Appreciation Society. And if I was caught out here, I had to have SOME reason for hanging around. It was using their own pre-judgments against them. . . "

"Hey, who is this MISHIMA guy that Big Daddy says The Hungarian is posing as?" Jayne asked. "And why would that be funny?"

"Yukio Mishima is a Japanese writer. His big best seller over there is "Sound of Waves". I thought that if he ever surfaced, he'd use the 'HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT" idea I did. I picked a blues singer that only blues fans knew. So I told Rusty to be on the look out for a guy who used a well known Japanese name. . . because our boy is a bit more egotistical then me, and practically WANTS to be caught. Rusty thought he'd use the name of the actor who starred in "Bridge on the River Kwai".

It was also sort of like Chris here rubbing it in the FBI faces that they can't tell the difference between a Philippino and a guy from Singapore. Same thing here. The boats and sailing was his joke with the water connection in the title. . . I just worry that we're too late, or set up. . . "

 

************************

The dashboard light cast a pale glow on Winona Ryder's face as she drove through the rain with Charles.

"Thanks for coming with me. . . "

"I'm surprised you asked me to come. . . "

"I want witnesses. I also want to check your story against his. "

"Anything you want to tell me about Sam Cooke?"

". . . yeah. . . for the FBI to leave me the. . . "she paused. They didn't have a lot of time, and cussing won't accomplish anything. "Okay. Okay. We go back to the old rock and roll tours.

"Holly and he were old friends. Used to gamble in the back of the bus. . . pretty boy STILL owes me $45 from the last game. . . "

"BUDDY HOLLY?"

"Yeah, they were tight. Thinking about doing a gospel album together. . . you play guitar, you know how good he is. . . his technique was light years ahead of everybody. . . "

"So last winter, when I knew "Maturity" was for sure Oscar bait, ol' Charlie calls and asks if I want to come to his tour. Valens was having trouble drawing them in with the Big Bopper, " she smiled at the pun". . .  and they needed another name. Holly was stranded in New York. No money. His manager was trying to starve him out."

"CHARLES??"

"Yeah. . . Buddy's real name is. . . was. . .  Charles Hardin Holly. So what the heck, huh? I grew up in the north, and I needed a distraction. You sit around thinking you deserve the Oscar one day, then kicking yourself for getting so worked up about it the next day and try and convince yourself it is a thrill just to be nominated, then you go back to wanting that thing all over again.

"So I drive up to Fargo. Cheer everybody up. Get really gone with the music. . . nice way to spend a February. God, did Valens feel the cold. . .

"On the last night, Holly rents a plane. Get to the next stop quicker. Do some laundry. I OFFER to drive him. It's an IMPERIAL, for GODS SAKE. . . he can sleep in the back and still have room for The Big Bopper. . .

"But no, no. . . the plane is PAYED for. . . you just run along. . . "she started to choke.
Please, thought Charles, do not let her cry. I will just crack up if she does. . .

"I was one of the first people who made it to the field. If you look at one of the photos really carefully, you can see my black coat. . . the one, in fact, I am wearing now.

"It took until this spring to catch up with Sam. Charles, he is almost as sad as Phil Silvers. . . beautiful man, but he's married and he has children, and I took him in stud poker and messing around with him would be like a mortal sin or something. . .

"Know what they did to him Osborne? True story. Solomon Burke told me one night. They were on a tour together. Deep south. All they wanted was some FOOD. They can't get served, of course. So they pay this high school girl who is a waitress to BRING them some food over to their motel. . .

"Well, they got found out. . . The local law drags them over to the fire station and orders them to strip naked. Then they had to do their whole routines for the cops.
"Sam never got over that. . . he began to see talent and beauty as a kind of curse sometimes and I know where he was coming from. . . you don't just worry about it being taken away, you worry what trouble it would bring.

"By the way, Buddy and I were just friends too. . . his wife lost the kid last year after the crash. . . funny, you never heard about that in the papers, now did you?

"I cried enough for all of them one night in Mexico. A funeral parade went by. It was summer. I went back for a screening of "Maturity". This family goes by with a little girl in the casket and the grandmother chanting the mass. . . rest of the family repeating in lock step.

"I followed the funeral into the church and just cried and cried.

"Then I had a Corona for the late, great Charles Hardin Holly. . . "

The headlights reflected off the uniform of a L.A. City police officer standing at the front gate. He approached the car as Winona rolled down the window.

"Good evening, ma'am. . . been waiting for you. . . "

"NOW what's up, officer??"

"Oh, nothing. . . nothing. . . we had some fun earlier with the FBI this evening. . . they seemed to want to come in and we were not about to let them. . . not without a warrant. So it was decided to have me hang around to make sure there was no chicanery. . . "

"CHICANERY??" Charles loved the word.

"Yeah, sorry. . . I was watching "Arsenic and Old Lace" with the kids last night. . . it's a line that Teddy says at the end of the movie. . . the little guys will be running up the stairs yelling 'charge' for a week now. . . "

"Wait a minute, how did the police get here in the first place?" Winona's nose was working overtime.

"Turf war. The FBI wanted to come in and the security company said no, so they called us because they were about to be all run into jail. And I got left behind and it started to rain. . . Don't worry Donald, we'll bring back a slicker and an umbrella. . . sure, sure they will."

"Is your name REALLY Donald Duck??" Ryder could NOT believe the nametag on the uniform. . .

He smiled a patient smile of a man who has put up with years of persecution over things he could not change.

"Yes. Yes it is.

" Mom named me that about a year or so before the first Donald Duck cartoon. I was gonna change it, but you cannot BELIEVE the job interviews it got me into with people who want to ask me the same question.

"Could be worse."

"Yeah, how?"

"She could have named you Daffy. . . "

"How about a sandwich when I finish getting the place started up?"

"That would be nice. . . thank you. . . have a nice evening. . . see you later. . . "

 ************************

"You are SADISTIC!"

Wolf kept eating his steak and smiled at his dinner companion.

"No, man. . . I MEAN it. . . YOU are SICK, man. . . this is just disgusting. . . you are COLD. . . "

Wolf was at the Sultan, a nightclub in L.A. They made a fantastic steak and they featured Renny Day Cart. What more could a man want?

The man at the table was dark haired and had the most intense eyebrows and eyes Wolf had ever seen. He was a comedian named Lenny Bruce.

"Now dig this. . . objectively. . . what would YOU say if you found out a FRIEND comes here every night that he can to listen to the world's WORST singer while eating a good steak. . . just for the PLEASURE of watching her BOMB??

"Would that not be in YOUR EYES, just a little bit CRUEL?"

"For anybody else other then Renny, maybe. . . "

Renny was a blonde film star and lounge singer. Her hair was almost always combed straight down. Her eyes seemed to be sleepy, as if she had just eaten a whole side of beef at a sitting, but her mouth was always set in a ravenous grin. The total effect made her look like a decadent party girl in ancient Rome.

"Lenny, let me ask you this. . . suppose the story of the emperor's new clothes had been true. . . how much would have given to be there? Not AFTER the little brat says, "The Emperor is naked", but BEFORE, when he is walking around proud as a peacock and the whole town is totally into the con and cheering him??"

Lenny conceded the point. A few years ago, Day Cart and Ryder had been friends. Ryder goes to the bathroom and Day Cart grabs a script that she was considering doing. Of course Day Cart gets the Oscar. Of course.

But that had not hurt the most. During the HUAC days, when a word from Renny would have gone a long way to help, she had remained quiet or made jokes. Now, it was as if the Hollywood heiress was under a curse.

Her current project, a bio pic on Emily Dickinson, had been stuck in turnaround for so long even Disney was considering giving it a go. . . of course their would have to be changes. . . say, snappy chatter and songs and little kids. . . make her a fun, funny lady who saves the town?

They say folks could hear her scream all the way to Encino.

"Shh, shh, shh,. . . we're coming to the best part!!!"

"There is something BETTER then her singing "Only the Lonely"?"

"Yeah. She is about to have a moment of silence for her "Dead Daddy". . . "

". . .  . . no. . .  . . "

Yes. Day Cart announced a moment of silence for her departed father. . . who in fairness was a sweet, kind modest movie mogul who died recently of cancer. Then she launched into "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

Wolf snickered and ate some more well done meat.

Also in fairness, it should have been noted that Day Cart was not that bad. She could hit every note on command. But there was no emotion connected to anything she did. It was as if she was saying; “Look at me, I am ACTING. . . Look at me, I am SINGING. ."

"You don't see this as FUNNY?"

Bruce looked at Wolf seriously. “Man, this is pathetic. Sick. This chick stays on doing her schtick night after night through sheer triumph of the will. Remember the chick in Citizen Kane? Tried to kill herself rather then go in front of a public that just DID NOT want her?

"Not here, man. I don't know WHAT makes her do it. . . ego, or a need to be seen, but it takes an iron will. Hell, I worked my way through the worst toilets in America, when people just didn't want to SEE you. . . and the toll it takes on you. . . "

"Speaking of the toll, YOU are using hard drugs again, and I think it should stop. I can help. . . I run a program in my spare time where I help you help yourself ease off them, but the first decision has to be from you. . . "

Bruce looked at him deadpan and said; “If you start telling me a story about being lost in the woods or with little nymphs jumping off the tails of beavers in the bay, so help me, I am going to take this steak knife and cut out your heart."

Wolf laughed so hard he cried.

"I mean, what are you, anyway? You SAY you are a secret agent. You SAY you get work as an extra in films. You SAY you get people off the dope. . . did you jump fully grown from the head of Ian Fleming or what??"

"Now, now. You have SEEN my SAG card. You have SEEN my movies. And you have SEEN my clinic where I volunteer. . . Do not change the subject. . . "

But Lenny did. He put down a rap about agents and James Bond getting stoned and even Wolf had to laugh.

But Wolf also knew he was getting closer and closer to the day when he would have to deal with the subject of death.

And he would not be able to shuck death.

Their supper was cut short by the arrival of federal agent Danni Hastings. Hastings was a shoulder length red head who usually had a dour expression and a fog coat on. Both were there.

Bruce, not needing ANOTHER federal narcotics bust, split quickly.

Hastings sat down at the table, ordered a Coke, and asked Wolf "How did you find out about it before it happened?"

Doc was on the front lawn of the museum now, and gave the canister a kick with his foot. The medical examiner walked past and motioned for it to be tagged.

"It's a mace can that shoots the stuff in front of the person holding it like a firehose. Took out your 3 guys. They should be okay. . . we'll take them to county just to be sure. . . "

"Thanks. . . c'mon you two. . . might as well get some sleep."

Spence asked Doc if he thought that the men might come back.

"I doubt it. I think they were after the L.A. Auction House all the time. . . Besides, there will be enough boys in blue to refight Gettysburg for the rest of the night. Let's turn in. . . "

The idea, or more to the point the thought, hit Doc about half way back to the front door. He started to circle and wander a bit from the force of it.

"Hey, what did you guys mean when you said that the film was safety film, but not from America?"

"Every film has the name of the lab on the side and in most cases the name of the censor that passed it if it came from South America. If it is Spanish and doesn't have the censorship code, we're talking Cuba. They put out those BACHELOR PARTY flicks. If the censorship seal is there, it depends WHICH one. Brazil and Mexico are both different. Your film wasn't in English. But it wasn't Spanish either. . . "

Chapter 12: Winona by Starlight

 

She came into the room in a soft black dress with her hair pulled back. The makeup was perfect and she was serving up a California red.

"Okay, Billy. . . WHAT do you WANT?"

"A peace treaty. I'm tired of being the bad guy. I want your trust. And frankly I have better things to do then chase after Oscar winning actresses."

She would only give him her weariest of smiles.

"Think about it from MY angle. We brought crime fighting in this country into the 20th century and all anybody can centre on now is inflating car theft statistics to make the branches look good.

"We are only alienating the very people we should be reaching out to. . . we live in a society of laws. . . and even if I watch more John Wayne movies then your movies, you should still be fairly certain that when you need us, we will help you and you don't have to look over your shoulder at the very people you should trust."

Winona took a sip. "That's a lovely speech."

William Wine smiled his most oily smile. On purpose.

"I know we have a tough time trusting one another. I am a square. A Republican. I call mentally ill people names and even get my old buddy Charles, here upset with my remarks. . . I could see that on the flight.

"But in the words of Popeye the Sailor Man. . . 'I am what I am'. . . you can trust me because I am not going to sugar coat it for you. . . and tonight, to show you that I mean business, I want to interview you ON THE RECORD if you like, about your possible extortion by an agent working in my bureau. . . "

Winona was thunder struck.

". . . let me get this STRAIGHT. . . you are trying to fry another agent, and you want ME to help. . . "

"Yes, if that is what happened. No matter what Washington says, we DO get bad agents now and again. It also helps that Washington often encourages men to do things not TOTALLY in the spirit of the law for it's own ends, and I have reason to believe this has happened in your case. . . "

'Keep going. . . "

"You were brought up in front of HUAC in the 50's and accused of un-American activity. After an investigation by this bureau, you were cleared. You are a liberal, and you sponsor causes of a humanitarian nature. You are not an Un-American.
"Last spring one of my men came to you and asked for information on JFK. You refused. He threatened to open up your file and put you on a black list if you did not supply any facts you knew of any sexual trysts on the Senators part."

"My family takes that seriously. Dad suffered greatly during one of Hoovers' crusades against communism. He was chased through five countries. Finally came home. Finally cleared. Not before Hoover declared him the most dangerous man in America."

"My agent then put you on BOTH watch lists. The list for celebs that need watching due to one political reason or another, and the list for celebs who are being followed or threatened by mentally unbalanced people. This was a thinly veiled threat.

" Then this unfortunate soul in Kansas City suddenly turns up. . . and to MY surprise, I find you on the list BEFORE you need to be. . . until then, our agent friend who put you on it was only an apple polishing pain in my fundament. Now he was seen to be going behind my back to curry favor with J. Edgar."

"Is the guy from Kansas really dead?"

"I think so."

"Your man came to me wondering if I had an affair with Kennedy. I only gave him money for the election. Sat with him one night in Vegas. I knew HE wanted some action, but I also knew Jackie.

"Did a couple of benefits with her. Smokes like she OWNS Benson and Hedges. Stinky told me she was going through a rough time with Jack, but I think things are on the mend now. . . "

"Stinky?"

"Audrey Hepburn. We smashed a bottle of perfume once and it got all over her. . . cleared out a bistro in 2 minutes flat. . . funny gal. . . "

"And how did . . . Stinky. . . know?"

"Friend of a friend. Somebody else is having an affair with Jack, and the other friend who is also tight with Jackie didn't think it was right. Felt he should try and patch it up with her. . . I think they love one another."

Will could only shake his head. The Asian mob and the bike gangs were only gaining in power and his men were spending time chasing down stupid stuff like this. And that didn't even take into account the open season the Mob had declared on Teamster pension funds. . .

"So, you want to go on record and help me remove this guy?"

"Let me think about it. If this is a game of good cop-bad cop, I will personally find you and make you regret it. . . "

"Miss Ryder, I believe you. And I am tired of fighting you. It would be nice to work TOGETHER."

"Can I ask why the effort?"

He paused for a moment.

"Sure. I was reading the other night. Yeah, I'm one of the agents that not only READS, I buy Cliffs' Notes so I can understand those really DEEP novels. . .

"Anyway, we have on record that Merle Oberon actually helped our side during the War. Took secrets out of places and exposed herself to danger. Nobody believed that an ACTRESS could be good for anything like that. . .

"And I happened to see your face on LIFE. And I was suddenly tired of having you fight against us."

Nobody spoke for a long time.

"Sorry you didn't get in earlier tonight. . . "

Wine didn't even look up, the comment made so little sense.

"What are you talking about?"

Charles started to get the chills.

"The L.A. cop. Outside my gate. In the rain. . . said you guys were here earlier tonight and tried to gatecrash without a warrant. . . "

"Nobody was out there when I came in. . . and I wasn't here earlier in the evening. I was getting your file to give to you to read as a sign of good faith if you didn't believe me. And that takes more then a smile and a nod. I thought it might get hairy and you could use something concrete to see backing up my story. . .

"I think we better sit tight for a minute or two until we find out if something is wrong or not."

***********************************

Wolf could only smile.

"Danni my love, my ex-partner. You show up in my life with the same enigmatic expression and the same trench coat that you used when we were chasing UFO's for Project Blue Book. What do you MEAN?"

"Just how did you know about tonight's fire over at the Auction House before we did?"

"Is this gonna be ANOTHER flashback? All day, since I got off the plane, people have been digging up the past and talking old times. Well, it's great work if you can get it, but I just might have gainful employment ahead of me. . . so WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??"

"The L.A. Auction House was blown up tonight. Messy. Here. On this manifest we just got wired to us. . .  is this. A lot of Batista stuff that the old guy was gonna auction off to raise money. Cuban treasures.

"Did the rebels blow it up just to keep the dictator from making any money? Did one of Batista's merry men or a hired hand do it for HIM to make it look like Castro and cheese off JFK?

"The Boss told me to find you. I look all over Florida, find you closed out the shop and came here. . . five hours before the place went up.

"And now I want to know how you knew about it before we did. . . all the boss wanted was an opinion on possible Cuban involvement in a smuggling op."

"Actually, I DIDN'T. Pure co-incidence. Was here with a friend earlier in the day, trying to help him. He's on vacation and wanted to look at the sites and get a little something as a gift for home."

". . . I never believe you. . . why do I ask?"

"Oh, if it is whiskey the Boss is worried about, yes. Pot, no. Porno no. Currency big yes. Guns huge yes. Does that help?"

"Sure does. . .  . . I'll see you later. . . "

"Hey Danni, still believe in UFO's?"

Danni would only smile.

****************

Chris climbed out of Jaynes' bed and got his suitcase. He removed a brown bakelite box about the size and weight of a Gideon Bible. On it's top were a series of brass screws.

With efficiency from long practice, he cut and stripped the phone line and connected it to either side of the box.

He dialed a number to the 'Singapore Trade and Dry Good Company'.

"Number please."

"Mr. Abernathy."

Chao listened to a sound not unlike his grandmother gargling with mouthwash. But with more rhythm. And quicker.

In his mind he could see a bakelite box on his bosses' desk. . . but it would have tumblers inside it, like a slot machine, that would tell the boss the number he was calling from and that this line had been run through his scrambler.

"Hello Christopher. Have the Americans mentioned Viet-Nam by chance?" You had to hand it to the Overseer. He not only knew (or guessed) he had made contact, he wanted backyard reports.

"No. They are concerned almost exclusively about Cuba. For what it is worth, it might be invaded in the spring."

"Piddling, unless it has more of a direct link to us. Castro is almost exclusively Russian. I doubt if China would care unless it goes nuclear, and China is what we are watching for.

"Oh well, as long as they are not talking to YOU about the Diem brothers, they must be reasonably stable. . . "

"Sources here say that the Hungarian is surfacing. In Nevada. He has bought into an auction at Rusty's. This gives me pause. I will hang about Las Vegas for a time, and see it the nukes angle was just a wild goose chase."

"We DID get the info pretty easy at that. . . "

"Also, I have been shot at in two separate occasions. It could be a Mob turf war here, but I hate coincidences as much as you do. I am not at ALL sure I was not made from the moment I arrived.

"Secondly, we had a crash after the second incident that involved the police. They seemed more eager then even I was to forgive and forget. The shot gun used to hold them off was not even taken."

"You think they threw you back in to get a bigger fish."

"Something is on their minds. . . "

"By the way, about you being 'made' as you say. . . from the moment you left Hawaii. One of the reasons I gave you the message myself is that it is becoming more and more clear to me we might have a spy on the inside here. When this is wrapped up, we might need you to clean house for us and find a traitor."

"Speaking of cleaning house. . . any ideas what you want me to use for The Hungarian? "

"None, use your own creativity. Just keep it quiet. And keep an open mind. Is he using the money from the art sale to buy the uranium to sell to others? It's a thought.

"By the way, we just peeled a lovely color photo off the wire service of the L.A. City Auction House exploding in the night. Pity newspapers cannot print color pictures. . . it would have looked great. . . lots of oranges and yellows. . . I'll keep it for you until you get back. . .

"Of course, with our boy somehow connected to art and auctions you might want to check his involvement in the fire. . . "

"Already done. Stephen Slater came over after the blow up. He thought that our man was going to try and steal an artifact from his museum. Now it looks like that was a dodge. . . He says there was nothing in the place that could have caused it to go up like that. . . no nitrate stock. . . "

"Now THAT is. . . odd. . . Tokyo is saying this morning that a nitrate print WAS in the place. . . "

********************************

Chicken Spring Ranch Nev. Nov. 1960 DAY FOUR 2300hr

Milt Fawcett knew that the entire staff thought he was crazy and he did not care.
Milt was an agent. A government agent for the Department of Agriculture. His was a restless search for. . . cock fighting.

Fawcett had come back from Korea with a hatred for anyone who would either eat dogs or used roosters in a fight. He had been one of the first men to face the commie hoards as they poured across the 39th. His regular tour had been as an MP in Tokyo. The North cut through them like water. . .

His leg wound was serious enough to get him sent south. . . and it was there he saw his first dogs eaten by people. . . their heads had been lopped off and left beside the grill. It didn't help he was dragged to a cockfight without knowing what it was by a drunken bunkmate. A rooster had it's throat cut with the razors attached to its' feet.
He cried all night and had to get professional help. Nothing had prepared him for that. . . the army doctors were good to him and he went home after his stay in the hospital.

But he had changed.

Fawcett had always loved dogs but now could not stand it if someone was cruel to one in front of him. He worked hard for the Department of Agriculture in their "Chicken of Tomorrow" program. . . and he looked tirelessly to find and convict cockfighting rings.

His co-workers laughed at him when he put forth the idea that cruelty to animals should get the same treatment as cruelty to humans. . . in his mind he could not see a difference. They would roll their eyes when he went over the research and breeding costs that went into the average chicken getting to his plate. . . and Fawcett liked his Sunday chicken. . .

And they shook their heads when he was discovered wandering the back counties of Nevada at night, convinced that the gamblers would try and reopen cockfights in the desert to skirt State law. With his thick glasses and Teddy Roosevelt moustache, he was easy to make fun of. . .

But not after tonight. Nope. He had been on this places trail for weeks now. He had brought out a lawn chair and watched them at night. Looking for clues.

Their low feed costs and limited output practically screamed a front for a fight pit. He had visited them earlier in the month, pretending to be a feed salesman, and the creeps did not understand the first thing about what he was asking them. . .

He was sure this time it was pay dirt. . .

L.A. CA. NOV. 1960 DAY FOUR 2300 HRS.

'Okay, so there really IS a Donald Duck on the force, and he really WAS here tonight. . . And your security boys actually confirm that the FBI properly credentialed, tried to enter the place tonight.

"It looks like it was the second in command that I was telling you about. . . the apple polisher that was trying to shake you down for dirt on JFK. He appears to have gone rogue and is doing things for himself now. . . I never authorized this. . . "

Winona Ryder was quiet and angry. . . a combo Charles had learned to duck around;” I don't believe you. I think this was all a shuck."

"Then try this. . . he is about to pull a raid at Mansfields'. He thinks that the whole sick gang is there and he figures this is the way to redeem himself. If he finds them, he is top dog. Hoover won't CARE if the warrant was illegal and he fooled the other guys to follow him in."

Ryder stopped and stared.

"Call Jayne. Warn her. . . "

"Can't. . .  phone lines have already been cut. FBI procedure. . . They're going in about right now. . . "

She pointed her finger at him, "You are coming back with us. Now."

It was all it took.

Chapter 13: Watch Big Daddy Run!

 

The surveyors were to blame, of course.

The property line between Jayne's place and Durwood Kirby, who lived next door, was irregular and created an "L" shaped bulge about half way down the lot. When the fence was being put up, it simply ended between the two leaving a gap between the trees.

Normally this would only be of interest to Durwood, who sometimes looked over at the pool, or one of Jayne's boyfriends who might have to hit the bricks in a hurry.
Wolf parked his car just beyond the trees and was about to shut off the motor.
Big Daddy was in the front seat and whispering at him to keep driving.
"What the. . . I was coming back for some supper. . . "

"My man, I will make you the most amazing chow mien you have ever wrapped your lips around. . . just drive. . . that's the FBI over there. . . "

The car was past the lot now and making a turn out to the street.

"How did you know?"

"Chris was upstairs making a call. Suddenly the line goes dead. I'm out back sleeping on the hammock. He sticks his head out the window and tells me to beat it. . . we both knew what it meant. . . Sure, it could have been a downed line, but if it was, then I was out only a trip to Durwood's. . . saw the cars and dudes when I hit the trees."

"Holy Toledo. . . Who's inside?"

"Jen, Jayne, Chris, Stephen the two old dudes arguing over salt substitute, and Stinky."

"HEPBURN!!!"

"Yeah, we were curled up together on the hammock. . . don't look at me like that. . . "
"Brother, this is a look of admiration. . . I salute you. . . "

"Battle stations! We have a boarding party on deck!"

"Okay, Chris, back on the hammock, you two as you were. . .  . . Jen, you are PERFECT. . . "

"FBI . Nobody move. My name is Special Agent Herman Powell, and we have a federal warrant to search this place. . . I want to see ID's"

"Let's see the warrant. . . "said Jayne. Not like a lawyer, but more like someone who wants to hear the punchline of a joke.

Powell ignored her.

"You. . . who are you. . . ?"

"My name is Buster Keaton. I'm eating supper. This is my chauffer. Here is our drivers permits. State of California. As you can see, they are both quite old. We were discussing our salt substitute. We are guests in this house."

"Let me see the warrant."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Audrey Hepburn and this is my niece. As you can see, she is trying on my clothes for fun. This is Steve Slater. . . I may donate some outfits to his museum."
Powell looked long and hard at Slater, but he wasn't Big Daddy. . . and Jen didn't register. . .

"And you?"

"Sir, I am from the Philippines. . . "Chao tearfully said” I am here to see Jayne Mansfield. I am the President of her Fan Club in Manila. And I hope she can cure my homosexuality. . . "

Chris would later say he could distinctly hear the sound of Powell’s transmission jamming.

Charles, Will and Winona were in the room.

"Agent Powell, surrender your firearm. Agents. Step down. You are engaged in an illegal arrest. There is no warrant. Please stand down."

Powell took his .38 out and held it up in the air, muzzle pointing to the ceiling.

Winona stood open mouthed. It was either the most spectacular game of good cop/bad cop she had EVER seen or. . .

Then Powell softly started to speak.

"You never took it far enough sir. You never had the urge to go all the way. They are out there. Plotting. And to catch them, we have to go out there with them."

"And what is left when we leave the law? Your firearm sir."

They heard the sound and saw the smoke first.

Powell shot at Will point blank, fired off two more rounds and ran out the back.
Will hit the floor and watched as the agents ran after Powell Keystone Kops style. He had too big a lead.

"Charles, remember when I said Big Daddy might be able to square his record if he saved Hoover's life? Well, we might be able to arrange something a little more IMMEDIATE."

Will turned over and didn't saying anything more.

Chapter 14: "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes . . . ."
 

CHICKEN SPRING RANCH. NEV. NOV. 1960 DAY FOUR. 2315

Maria marched down the hallway in the centre of the ranch house towards Mr. Omar's den.

To call the building a ranch house was like saying Moby Dick was big fish. This was now a 15 room mansion that had it's own indoor sauna and lots of other goodies Maria frankly did not like to think about.

Right now, her job was to deliver a mustard plaster and a teapot of garlic boiled in water to Mr. Omar.

It was a Hungarian cure for the cold, and Mr. Omar had caught one on the trip back from Vegas.

Maria was a Hungarian cook and did not call Mr. Omar by that name. To her, Mr. Omar was "Bela". . .  . . only pronounced "Bay-la" like it was really meant to be pronounced, not "Bell-a" the way the Americans always said it. She never used this name to Mr. Omar's face.

Either way, it reminded her of those eyes of Mr. Omar's that he shared with Bela Lugosi, the man who had scared the life out of her when she was a little child in that awful movie "Dracula". She would look into those eyes and never see light or kindness. They were the eyes of a Dead Soul. She could almost believe in the Evil Eye watching them.

But she had been raised by the Communists. She knew better. She knew of science. Mr. Omar was only human. And a Communist just like her.

Well, not JUST like her. . .

At the end of the war, she had been sent out to be a sleeper. . . somebody who would wait patiently until they were needed by her party leaders to do a specific job. . . Yes, she drew a paycheck from Mr. Omar but her ear belonged to the U.S.S.R., and a particular branch of it's government called the KGB. . . For now, her job was to keep tabs on this man. Moscow trusted him not one little bit.

She did not blame them.

Mr. Omar watched Maria drop off his boiled garlic water and waited until she was out the door of his den before going on.

In front of him was Alexi. Alexi was plainly nervous.

"Relax, you ruin your HEALTH with such worry. Now tell me again what went wrong. Take it easy. . . I am not a BARBARIAN. . . I don't NECESSARILY shot the messenger with the bad news. . . Now. . .  tell me. . .  while I'm patient and drinking this Hungarian cure for my cold. . . "

"Sir, they tried to get to the museum. The man at the auction house must have set the fuse for too short a time. It was suddenly Independence Day and the lawn was swarming with cops and guards and the whole neighborhood. I ordered the men to abandon the mission over the phone.

"The canister of mace with the hose worked as you said. But the museum was lit up and I doubted we could make the grab undetected."

"You are wrong on several accounts. One, the auction house was a firetrap waiting to go up. We may not have even had anything to do with the WHOLE building going up. . . Like the MGM tape vault, it was a question of time to see which would go up first. . . little fire protection. At any rate, the fuse was PRE-set. . . He could not possibly have screwed it up unless he deliberately played with it. . . did you see this happen while he was here?"

"He kept looking at it like he MIGHT. . . I told him not to play with it. . . "

"Cosmo always liked gadgets. . . Is he still with us?"

"Yes, sir. . . he made it out as did the team you sent to the museum to snatch the dress."

"Have them come in to see me when they come in. Very good, Alexi. . . "

Alexi stood rooted to the carpet in the den.

"I said VERY GOOD Alexi. . . run along. . . I am NOT angry. . .  at least not with you. . . but tell the gamekeeper I would like 3 fights tonight. . .  . . and not the bantam. . . "

". . .  . . yes, sir. . . "

 

L.A. CA. NOV. 1960 DAY FOUR 2345

The ladies were all in the kitchen while the FBI continued to question everybody else. . . It was only a matter time before their luck ran out with Jen. . . sooner or later someone would remember the most famous gypsy cab fugitive of greater Los Angeles. . .

"WHAT were you DOING in the hammock with BIG DADDY??" When she was really stressed Winona Ryder would bunch up her muscles from her neck down to her middle back centering the frustration around her spine.

Right now it looked like she had just been thumped between the shoulders on a sunburn.

"Stinky" Hepburn exhaled her Benson and Hedges and tried to smile.

"NOTHING. . . really, nothing. . . Remember a few years back? The beach party? It was after Labor Day?

"The sun went down too quick and I was really really cold. He was out in a lounge chair and sleeping, right?

"I curled up to him and he didn't even notice. Just laid there. But my GOD is he warm. . . gives off heat like a blast furnace, and I feel the cold in my joints now. . . I'm getting old for a dancer. . . forget actress years. . .

"I had a crush on him then. . . don't look at ME that way. . . and I told him what I wanted and when and how often. . . "

"What did he say?"

"He was ASLEEP. . . told me 'Next week, unless my sister is worse'. . . then he snorted and drifted back. . . He sleeps out there because he SNORES so loud. . .

"Next morning he wakes up and just looks so GUILTY. . . I told him nothing had happened and he was so RELIEVED. . . he still carries a torch for. . . "
". . . Miranda. . . "

". . . yes. . . her. . . Anyway, when he's in town and it's cold I curl up. . . most times he doesn't even notice. . . sometimes we talk. . . that is really SPECIAL. . . he gets his topics mixed as he goes to sleep, and we end up going from Shaw to Mahler to the Creature from the Black Lagoon. . . why?"

"I just didn't want him USING you. . . or breaking you heart or . . . I could see him trying to lay a line on you and I didn't want that. . . you are carrying enough stuff. . . "
"Just what he says. . . So how come you HIT him?'

Winona laughed. "Oh Gawd. . . that goes back to a steak house one night. . . we were all there. . .  and he pulls out this New York Times and says that we should invest in a steakhouse in Atlanta. . . he would cook, I would wear this LEATHER short skirt with HEELS and FISHNETS, and we would make a million. . .

"Well I smack him a GOOD one right across the arm. . . He laughs. . . I laugh. . . he keeps on going how we should be MARRIED. . . how NO WIFE OF HIS would make movies. . . I hit him AGAIN. . . now the folks at the NEXT TABLE are laughing. . . So I find a menu and whack him REALLY hard. . . he just collapses on the floor in tears. . . he LOVES it. . . even showed me a couple of ex-wrestling moves that LOOK nasty but are more for show. . .

"It's our schtick. . . " She smiled warmly.

 
**********************************

 Outside the house, Big Daddy knocked on the door, and turned to check out Wolf. He brushed a hair from his lapel. Both men were in suits.

"This will not work. You are insane.'

"I'm a doctor now. How can I be insane??"

"You are. You are. This will not work."

"Just come in whenever you like. Think lawyer. Think raw meat. Think shark. Think blood, blood, blood. . . "

"I'm thinking of my butt. . .  butt. . .  butt. . . "

Then just LOOK mean. . . like you did in that western with Cooper. Just frown a lot like you got acid reflux."

"Keep this up and it will be EASY to do. . . "

Showtime.

"EXCUSE ME!" bellowed Big Daddy" My name is Dr. Robert Johnson. . . this is my lawyer Mr. Fredrick Wolfstein. We are here to take Mr. Buster Keaton and his chauffer home. Mr. Keaton was institutionalized years ago and should NOT be exposed to this strain. . . "

The FBI agent closest to the old men turned.

". . . yeah, please get them out of here. . . the one or the other has been crying and they were not involved. We have their statement. Thanks Doc. . . "

"Oh, and can I have the niece of Miss Hepburn? I have permission from her parents to take her home. . . she doesn't need to see this either. . . "

"Sure. . . sure. . . what kid does?? Thanks Doc. . . your doing us a favor. . . "

Wolf slowly let out his breath. . . the LUCKY s.o.b !!!

Winona came out from the kitchen and leaned against the wall. She folded her arms and stuck her tongue in her cheek.

"Oh, Aunt Stinky, do you MIND if this DOCTOR takes your niece home?"

"Why no, I imagine she can tell him the way. . . "

"Thank you Miss Hepburn. . . A pleasure meeting you Miss Ryder. . . "

Winona escorted the three to the front door. When she was sure nobody else was looking she gave Big Daddy THE LOOK and pointed her finger at him.

Nothing more.

He let out a low pitched giggle and left.

**********************

Spence alternated between shaking and crying in the back seat.

"Thank you SO much for getting us out of there. . . "

"Hey, I just felt SO stupid leaving you behind. . . and Buster didn't need that. . . "

"Then it was true. . . "

"Yes. . . " Keaton softly admitted staring at the windshield.” After my marriage broke up. After I made that stupid stupid deal with MGM. They took total control over my career. Would question everything. . . Made me loose all confidence in myself. . . and. . .

"I got help. . . a sanitarium. . . I was hitting the sauce too. . . but it was so painful. . . and for years after everybody would treat me like a bomb waiting to go off and kill them. . . "

It was Keaton crying now. . .

Jen put her arm around the comedian.

"It's over now. . . and we're going to Big Daddy's house. . . "

"Just drop us off at my place. My wife will be wondering what became of us and start calling all the local houses of Ill-repute. . . "

Jen cracked up and gave the old gentleman a hug

 
**********************

"Mr. Slater, I represent Western Insurance. Can we have a minute?"

"Sure. . . the FBI is done with me and we might as well talk in the kitchen. . .  Pepsi?"

"No, thanks. I wanna get a couple of hours after I type this up. And I wanted to get your gander at this before dawn. . . when the papers do. . . "

The agent slid a ream of paper over the kitchen table towards the Doc.

"We had it on our records that at least one nitrate stock print was there tonight when the place went up. We're thinking it could be the cause or the accelerant. . . either way, it's listed as nitrate, I think you know the one I mean, the one. . . "

". . . about Joan of Arc. . . yeah, I've been hearing about nothing else. . . But it was safety stock. . . "

". . . no. . . we have it listed as nitrate, only copy. . . worth an insured 2 mil. . .  "

"Checked it myself. With Keaton. . . safety film. . . I think from the east. . . NOT nitrate. . . "

The agent paused and went on very carefully.

"You are prepared to swear this in court?"

"Sure, and so is Mr. Keaton. . . "

The two men stared at one another, with the same thought in both their minds.

"Who gets paid for the 'nitrate print'?"

"Spanish company. . . holding firm. . . "

"A beautiful insurance fraud. And those BOOBS didn't check?"

"They didn't. . . and they stored it in an unprotected area. . . You would THINK they would know better. . . I mean, at least they can value history. . . right? I'm driving past the RCA archive the other day. . . know what they have?? For all those master tapes that can never be replaced and all that shellac that just BEGS for heat to go up? They have a guy sitting with fire extinguisher. Period."

"So our boy runs off a copy and keeps the original and burns up the safety film and grabs the money and then maybe does the same gig in another country or city. . . depending on the heat. . . "

"Nice pun. . . want on board? We've had you before investigating for us. . . we trust you and we would like to get the guy who wanted to defraud us. . . From your file, I see that McCoy was your point man from last time, but he is up north . . . any objections dealing with someone new??"

"No. . . none. . . yeah, I could use a couple of extra bucks and I would like this guy too. . . I mean, he wanted to hit my place tonight. . . "

"Okay, we'll get in touch tomorrow and firm it up. . . thanks. . . "

All anyone could think about when they hit the front door of Big Daddy's was getting some sleep. The two men had the jackets off before the door was shut and Jen cast an eye to the fridge for some water.

--click—

The three wheeled towards the living room and drew their guns.

Danni Hastings adjusted her position on the couch and picked up the small wire and metal object she had dropped on the coffee table to get their attention.

They sagged from the adrenaline going sour and cursed her roundly. She paid it no heed.

"Wolf, who would have put this bug on my phone? I heard it earlier tonight and was almost angry. . . very amateur night in Dixie. . . " 

L.A. CA. NOV. 1960 DAY FIVE 0030

Charles walked into his bedroom but did not turn on the light. He sensed her in the room before he actually saw or heard her.

"No, don't turn on the light. . . just come over here. . . "

She would have that wide-eyed look of passion to her now. A passion that would make her eyes look totally blank but at the same time light up her face.

She kissed softly. Started to take off his clothes. . .

He could feel the body stocking and the leather bikini underneath it. . . she had waited for him dressed like that. . . knowing he had been thinking about it in the back of his head all night since he first saw her.

His palms reached out and pulled her hips towards him.
 

Winona Ryder had one recurring nightmare in her life.

She was on the set of a movie and she had either missed her mark or forgot her lines, or the soundtrack didn't take, or something fell over and everybody was mad.
And in the middle of this nightmare, she would try and scream but could not and then her chest would tighten and her whole body would feel like it was being stuck with pins.

She was sitting up in bed. Alone. Dark room. Soundproof. She had done this herself so that when she screamed, no one would hear.

She hated that loss of control. Water glass. Night stand. Take a slug.

She remembered a fave line from a joke her Dad told her "There is no cold water, the fat man is sitting on the well."

She smiled. Long deep breaths. Long deep breaths. . . long deep. . .

"STILL not able to sleep?"

Chris touched Jayne’s wrists while resting on her back and nibbled on her neck.

"Am I CURED yet??"

"I will sign an affidavit if you like. . . "

"My Dad would get a kick out of it. . . "

"Dear Mister Chao. . . your son is . . . "

He started to nibble harder now.

"Your son is absolutely BERSERK. . . "

They both laughed as she turned over and nearly threw him into the wall.

Mrs. Slater had waited up for Steve. She looked at him from the couch.
"Tough day at the office honey?"

"Indian arrow heads. . . why didn't we go into them when we had the chance?"

On this night, Big Daddy got lucky. He fell asleep reading Frasier's "The Golden Bough". Absolute chloroform. No nightmares. He would wake up when he woke up. . . after all, there must be standards.

The bug would be talked about in the morning. Jen was dropped off and Wolf and Danni headed to the Hilton. It was time to catch up, but not tonight.

 

Chapter 15: Breakfast at Rusty's (II)

 

RUSTY'S CASINO NEV. NOV. 1960 DAY FIVE 0900

". . . we've talked to the other owners on the strip, Rusty. Even the boys who are not. . . well. . . "

"On the up and up. . . " Rusty smiled to himself. There was no way that anybody from the Hughes organization would say 'mob owned'"

". . . yes. . . Well, we saw the pics of the explosion in L.A. last night. A couple of the others were asked to host the auction before you. I think the Dunes, and I know Harrahs.

"But if this turns out to be COMPLICATED, you have our support to keep things quiet. . . Vegas is neutral territory for these guys, and they don't want waves. . . but at the same time. . . "

"Nobody wants to see the Sands turn into the first manned rocket from Vegas. . . "
"You got it. . . you need help, ask. The ball landed in your field, so I guess you get to play it. . . unless you just cancel the auction. . . "

"No, I want to see what they have. In every sense of the word. . . besides, there are ASSOCIATES who will probably be coming to do a bit of business with them. . . "
"Thank you Rusty. . . I know Howard does not express gratitude well, but if we can do anything. . . "

Rusty turned to Bosco. His right hand man held a spool of what looked like very very thick film. "So what's this?"

"Four inch VIDEO TAPE. New. You can wind and rewind on it and it is much better then film."

Bosco set up the tape while he talked to his boss.

"What you are seeing was shot on 16mm by a New Zealand crew. They were doing a night shoot for a documentary. The sad face of Los Angeles being stripped away of all it's landmarks, do-dah, do-dah, day. . . "

Rusty laughed.

"And they just happened to be sitting on the doorstep and got the whole auction house go up. . . lovely. . . so what do you have?"

"Take a look, here. . . and here. . . this was no fire or even a fire accelerated. This was a BOMB. But look at the color of the flames and the smoke. . . "

"Gasoline" Rusty replied.

"Yeah, a real botch job. No élan. They could have not been cruder if they had dumped kerosene on the front lobby and tossed in a match. . . But here is the kicker. . . rewind and look. . . behind the guy. . .  . . see?. . . He's talking and the window has a flash. . . Now. . . we time the flash to the explosion. . . fast forward. . . there. . . and it looks to me like there were two separate groups who tripped over one another. . . "

"One wanted a fire that would look like a slow burn. . . the other just wanted the place burned, and they had the dumb luck of walking into one another on the same night. . "

"And probably didn't know it then, and don't know it now. . . "

Rusty was not taking his eyes off the screen.

"The one thinks his bomb went off early, the other is just happy the place went up and didn't take him with it. . . but that first group is going to come looking for group two. . . "

"Boss, you have a WAY of attracting the fast action. . . "

"Ever think we should have stuck to church basement bingo?"

CHICKEN SPRING RANCH NEV. NOV. 1960 DAY FIVE 0900

"Why did the bomb go off early?" Mr. Omar was getting impatient." The plan was for my other team to get the dress from the Slater Museum before the whole building went up. What went wrong?"

The man tied to the chair was sweating. His eyes moved back and forth from Mr. Omar to the blow torch in Omar's hand.

"I never touched the bomb. Alexi told me not to. . . I was interested, but did not. . . there must have been something in there that blew the place sky high. . . you only wanted a small fire that the city could put out, but would damage the items and take out the evidence."

"You have attracted attention to us now. And for once, I cannot go back underground. Very serious. Cutting and running will create more loose ends then staying put. . . but you can help me tie up a couple of loose ends. . . Alexi. . . untie our friend. . . "

The man in the chair sobbed from relief as the torch was turned off and Alexi started to cut his knots.

 
*****************************

Agricultural Agent Fawcett had not been idle. During two nights, he had dug himself a duck blind and reinforced it . He could sit in the blind during the hot days with a cover made to blend in the sand. He was now able to peer out from beneath the cover with his field glasses and check out all the action. . . he even had some food and water. . .

And there it was, right on cue.

The dark one came out with the new man that had just come in this morning in the car. The car had woke him up.

HOLY COW!!! The dark one had kicked the other guy down and WHAT? The other guy had been shot three times. . . now, what? what?

Oh Gawd, oh gawd, that was the lime pit. . . for the dead chickens. . . holy smokes, holy smokes. . .

Fawcett crouched down in his blind and waited. This was too big now. He would have to call in. . . who? The FBI? Nevada State police? Never mind. He'd figure it out once he got out. . . once he was sure that he had not been seen. . .

 

L.A. CA. NOV. 1960 DAY FIVE 0900

Chris Chao stared at the ceiling while Jayne Mansfield played with is thick hair. Right now, a cigarette would go down really really good.

It had been a night of lovemaking and blissful sleep. First wild and passionate to burn off the energy left over from the laundry list of the days' action. Then tender as they communicated things to one another they could never say.

But he was going to stop the cigarettes. Honest. Not even one more. . .

"Are you out of here today?"

"Yes. I have to check into Vegas and get a look at things there. At least the film is supposed to be auctioned off, and it is my only lead right now."

"Give me a couple of days to close the place down and I might join you."

He smiled at her with a friendly leer.

L.A. CA. NOV. 1960 DAY FIVE 1000

"Good morning, Charles. . . "

Vandome would be talking to him at 0700 in Boston, pretty early for the old guy.
His voice did not show it.

"Good morning, sir. A report. And a couple of questions. I am having breakfast with Winona Ryder in a couple of seconds, so we'll be quick."

"Excellent. I was hoping you would get together. . . "

"Okay. . . you probably have pics of the Auction House blowing up. . . Chao and Wolf are both out here, and I think the whole gang is heading to Vegas for that auction. The film looks like it was a dupe, NOT the original. And FBI agent Will was shot last night. . . still no word on his condition. . . "

"He was not the man who was going to give you the records. . . that man was his under employee, Powell, he has the records."

"Yes, I somehow KNEW you would say that one. Powell went rogue and shot Will last night. No media."

"Are you going to Vegas?"

"No. . . I'm hooking up with John Coltrane here in town. . . I have to think, and one way I think is by putting probs in the back of my head and working on a guitar. . . besides, there are a couple of shoes to fall over here. . . I will get to Vegas for the sale, and we will probably have to have a meeting of the Committee."

"Glad you told me. I will stand by to throw the switch."

"So tell me everything you know about the movie. . . where did YOU find it??"

"I have never laid eyes on it. . . My people found it in South America. I was looking for "Greed". You know I love silent movies, and we had a tip that the 4 hour version of the film had finally turned up there. Well, like the uncut version of "The Magnificent Ambersons" that pops up every 5th year or so, this was another ghost. But my men did find that nitrate copy of "Joan".

"Safety film"

"No, Charles. . . nitrate. . . I had the boys from the Eastman lab working for me on this one. . . it WAS an original. . . now how and when it got copied. . . "

"Just what IS this nitrate?"

"Before 1950 it was the film stock EVERYBODY used. Problem was, it decomposes. It's unstable. Dissolves. Or explodes. Or lets out gases when you open up the film cans that can poison you. Can burn UNDERWATER when the conditions are right. . .

"Safety film was developed to replace it . . . after a while all nitrate stock will become a sticky gooey mess. . . "

"What's the "Magnificent Ambersons?"

"The film Welles made after "Citizen Kane. He was asked by Rockefeller to do a movie for him in South America and got bogged down. Tried to edit the thing from down there over the phone.

"Fool. He lost control of THAT too. Thing was hacked and bombed. Ever since somebody tries to dig up a trail for it every five years or so. . . it never comes out. . . "Greed" was the silent movie version. . . it can be 2,4, or 6 hours long, depending on what and who you believe. MGM is supposed to have a full one of that one, too, but it has never come up. . . "

For breakfast, Winona Ryder was having a fruit plate while checking out the Times.
"You'll be leaving today?" she said over the paper.

"Here's your coat, don't let the door bang you on the way out?"

"I didn't MEAN IT that way, I'm sorry. . . It's just that. . . well, your Merry Men come to town and I can't call my soul my own. . .

"You got the law enforcement answer to Laurel and Hardy with Chao and Wolf. . . I WILL not play poker with Wolf anymore, thank you. . . and Chao only takes ALL his guns off for ONE thing and I don't LIKE to think about that. . .

"And I start clucking over Jen like a den mother. . . and Big Daddy. . . everything is a joke to him. . . I want to live longer then he does, just so I can put up a headstone on his GRAVE that says:' Wait a Minute, I have a funny line about this. . . "

Charles laughed.

"I'm sorry. I did not want to drag you back in. . . I know they must bug you. . . "

She gave him a wide eyed look: "No, that's not it. . . they don't bug me at all. . .  . . I love them. . . It just takes so much ENERGY. . . I mean, you pull off the Oscar winning movie after you personally find a story that brings you to tears. Then they say;’ Great, do it again!!!'

"I'm not a Coke machine. . . I don't have the energy to have a hit EVERY SINGLE TIME. . . and that's just the career, ever since "Maturity" I have all these fans that want me to tell them the MEANING of life. . . or want to know EVERY little detail about me. . . like as if what laundry detergent I use could make a difference in their lives. . . Wanna know what I LOVED about England? When I was doing the Hitchcock over there, I saw these Elvis fans who would dress up and act like him. . . WHY can't my fans JUST do THAT??"

"I've worked for El once or twice. It is that and more. They dress like him, AND they want every little detail of his life. . . come to Memphis, they're outside his home 24 hours a day. . . "

Winona shuddered. . .

"Besides, do you really want Chao, or Wolf or Daddy dressing like you?"

It was her turn to laugh.

The bug was sitting at the middle of the table like a sci-fi centerpiece. Big Daddy was relaying waffles out the multitudes. Jen had brought syrup from his market. Danni was trying to mix the batter. Wolf was chowing through his second batch.

"Man, when you want to EAT in America, you have to come here. . . " observed Chris, already on his fourth. "So, whose bug is it?"

"That's the prob. Our government passed these out like candy after the last war. These bugs usually last as long as a used car does, and this one is way past it's prime. That's why Danni heard it whistling. If it wasn't hammered down just SO, it would honk and whistle and feedback all over the place. . . "

"So then anybody who has had contact with American intel during the last decade could have been given this, or found this and decided to use it against us. . . "

"Yup. And worse, they are knock offs from Shanghai to Springfield. . . very simple to make. . . oh, the Russians may have cornered the market with a good all purpose assault rifle, but nothing comes close to our hi-fi hardware. . . "

Jen turned to Danni: "Hey, you never DID tell me, ARE there UFO's?"

Danni Hastings smiled. It was time to let down her hair. With Wolf and the whole government gang, she was all business. . . she could trust the kid, they had shared enough cabs. . .

"Okay, my opinion based on what I could find out. . . short answer. . . no. . .

"Long answer. . . during the last part of the War, when we were pounding the heck out of Hitler's airfields, he thought he could get an advantage if he could develop a plane that could take off and land without a runway.

"Calls in two guys called the Horten Brothers to build the thing. They settle on a saucer shape, and are captured at the end of the War. Moved over to New Mexico.
"Now, Air Force does NOT want anybody else to know, so they ask NAVY I think, to find these Horten brothers on the hope that they will do a quick scan and tell them they are dead or missing and be able to clean the slate. Instead the Navy comes back, looks them in the eye, and says;’ Don’t play games, you knew it all along. You have them out west'.

Okay, on the west coast, the Japanese have this plan. . . they want to send flammable zeppelins over the great west woods. Crash them into the trees and make a fire that would make Dresden look like a candle in the darkness.

"Those guys are caught and wind up in New Mexico.

"Also, the Americans wanted to send mics over the USSR to monitor their above ground explosions. They get this toy dude in New York to make the kites that attach to the mics and send them out over air currents.

"So one comes back and crashes in New Mexico. . . the locals find it and try to set fire to the fabric. . . only the dude had dipped the paper in white glue, making it sort of weather and fire proof. . . But he did NOT weather proof the TAPE he used to put the thing together. . . used this novelty tape that had stars and shapes on it. . . the weather rubs a lot of it off and the result is that the folks in. . . what. . . Roswell. . . think they have a strip of future metal that will not burn, and a code strip of space talk. . . "

"You’re KIDDING" Jen loved it.

"No, straight goods, as far as I can tell. Now maybe tomorrow a door will open and I will find out the government is run by shambling aliens, but I doubt it. . .

"The little men were the Japanese pilots, and the cigar shapes. . . "

". . . the zeppelins. . . "

"And the flying saucers. . . "

". . . the flying saucers. . . did they ever work?"

"Nope. Too unstable. . . But don't worry, in a few years, folks will come flocking to that joint for UFO Days, I think. They may even elect Miss Universe or Miss Outer Space. . . "

"But what about the folks down south?"

"The ones who ALWAYS see the aliens? Heck, I wish that Charles was here. He used to do a great impression of them. "De aliens left me in a bath tub covered with beer here in my front lawn. . . '

"CHARLES was in on operation Blue Book?"

"Yeah," replied Big Daddy "He used to help with the witnesses and supply equipment from his job to help dig up the evidence. . . there never was any that held up. . . We would go down to alligator alley. . . that's this highway across Florida, and watch the folks watch the skies. . . they pull out lawn chairs and everything. . . with a couple of bases nearby, they are seldom disappointed. . .

Jen just stared.

"Hey even I gave up long ago the idea that I was the weirdest guy at the table. . . I stopped thinking I had seen or done it all. . . completeness is an illusion. . . there is always somebody MORE eccentric then you. . .

"I find that a very PEACEFUL thought. . .  . . "

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