My Dark Places - James Ellroy [12]
She’d heard about the killing. She said the news was buzzing all over Airtek. She said she was friendly with Jean. Jean was a well-liked Airtek employee.
Airtek was a division of the Packmeyr Gun Company. They manufactured window casings for military planes. Jean was the plant nurse. She hired on in September ’56.
Mrs. Schienle said she knew very little about Jean’s private life. Hallinen and Lawton pressed her.
She said Jean had very few close friends. She was not much of a socializer and only an occasional drinker. Her friends were mostly older couples, dating back to the time of her marriage.
Hallinen and Lawton described the blonde and the dark man. Mrs. Schienle said they didn’t sound like Airtek people— or any of the friends Jean told her about. The name Tommy did not ring a bell.
Hallinen and Lawton left her a card and said they’d be in touch. They told her to call if she picked up on anything suspicious.
Mrs. Schienle assured them she’d cooperate. Hallinen and Lawton headed back to El Monte.
The Metropolitan Detail was a loan-out unit. It had one function: to assist the Headquarters Detective Bureau in major investigations. The assigned deputies wore plainclothes and were skilled at canvassing.
Frank Godfrey locked in to the Ellroy case on Monday afternoon. Bill Vickers was set to start soon.
Godfrey canvassed with a photo of the victim. He queried waitresses, carhops, bartenders, restaurant and cocktail lounge managers. He stressed the redhead, the blonde and a dark man who might be named Tommy. He said the redhead ordered Mexican food or a chili size with cheese.
He hit Staat’s Cafe at Meeker and Valley. A waitress said the redhead looked familiar. She said a party of four came in Saturday night and ordered chili sizes. Pearl Pendleton waited on them.
Pearl was off today. Godfrey got her number from the manager and called her. Pearl listened to his questions and said that none of her Saturday-night customers resembled the people he described.
Godfrey hit Dick’s Drive-in at Rosemead and Las Tunas. Nobody there was working Saturday night into Sunday morning. The manager was not on the premises.
A carhop gave him some names: Marlene, Kathy, Kitty Johnson, Sue the counter girl. They were all working Saturday-Sunday graveyard and would be rotating back on duty Wednesday.
Godfrey walked across the street and checked out the Clock Drive-in. The manager said none of his on-duty crew was working late Saturday night or early Sunday. He checked his 6/21 roster and kicked loose some names and numbers: two dining-room girls, one hostess, one counter girl and four carhops.
Godfrey circled over to Five Points and hit Stan’s Drive-in. The manager said his Saturday-Sunday girls were all off now. Godfrey wrote down their names and home numbers:
Eve McKinley / ED3-6733; Ellen “Nicky” Nichols / ED3-6442; Lavonne “Pinky” Chambers / ED7-6686.
It was 4:00 p.m. Godfrey swung south on Garvey and stopped at the Melody Room.
The owner introduced himself as Clyde. He heard out Godfrey’s questions and told him to contact Bernie Snyder, the night barman. Bernie closed the place at 2:00 a.m. Sunday. Call Bernie and talk to him.
A customer butted in. He said he was here Sunday morning—and he saw a ponytailed blonde huddled up with a dark-haired guy. The guy was thirty to thirty-five. The ponytail and him were acting real nervous.
Clyde said the ponytail sounded like a regular named Jo. She worked for Dun & Bradstreet in L.A. He called the woman a “bar lizard.” The dark-haired guy didn’t come off familiar at all.
Godfrey took down the customer’s name and phone number. Clyde urged him to call Bernie Snyder—Bernie knew all the faces.
Godfrey called from the bar. Bernie’s wife answered. She said Bernie wouldn’t be back until 5:30—try him then.
It was 4:30 p.m. Most of your local nightspots didn’t open until 6:00 or 7:00. Godfrey was running up a long phone call list.
The Desert