My Dark Places - James Ellroy [3]
They talked to people out walking and people sunning in their yards. They talked to a long string of customers at the dairy stand. They described their victim and got down-the-line responses: I don’t know who you’re talking about.
The area was residential and semi-rural—small houses interspersed with vacant lots and blocks of undeveloped ranch-land. Hallinen, Lawton and Andre wrote it off as futile canvassing turf.
They drove south to the main El Monte throughways: Ramona, Garvey, Valley Boulevard. They swept a string of cafes and a few cocktail bars. They talked up the redhead and got a run of negative responses.
The initial canvass was tapped out.
The grid search was tapped out.
No patrol units were reporting suspicious males with cuts and scratches.
A call came in to the El Monte PD. The caller said she just heard a radio bulletin. That lady they found at the school sounded just like her tenant.
The switchboard operator radioed Virg Ervin: See the woman at 700 Bryant Road.
The address was El Monte—about a mile southeast of Arroyo High School. Ervin drove there and knocked on the door.
A woman opened up. She identified herself as Anna May Krycki and stated that the dead woman sounded like her tenant, Jean Ellroy. Jean left her little house on the Krycki property last night around 8:00. She stayed out all night—and still hadn’t returned.
Ervin described the victim’s overcoat and dress. Anna May Krycki said they sounded just like Jean’s favorite outfit. Ervin described the scarring on the victim’s right nipple. Anna May Krycki said Jean showed her that scar.
Ervin went back to his car and radioed the information to the El Monte switchboard. The dispatcher sent a patrol car out to find Jack Lawton and Ward Hallinen.
The car found them inside of ten minutes. They drove straight to the Krycki house.
Hallinen pulled out the victim’s ring straight off. Anna May Krycki ID’d it as Jean Ellroy’s.
Lawton and Hallinen sat her down and questioned her. Anna May Krycki said she was Mrs. Krycki. Her husband’s name was George, and she had a 12-year-old son from a previous marriage named Gaylord. Jean Ellroy was technically Mrs. Jean Ellroy, but she’d been divorced from her husband for several years. Jean’s full first name was Geneva. Her middle name was Odelia and her maiden name was Hilliker. Jean was a registered nurse. She worked at an aircraft-parts plant in downtown L.A. She and her 10-year-old son lived in the little stone bungalow in the Kryckis’ backyard. Jean drove a red-and-white ’57 Buick. Her son was spending the weekend with his father in L.A. and should be home in a few hours.
Mrs. Krycki showed them a photograph of Jean Ellroy. The face matched their victim’s.
Mrs. Krycki said she saw Jean leave her bungalow last night around 8:00. She was alone. She drove off in her car and did not return. Her car was not in her driveway or her garage.
Mrs. Krycki stated that the victim and her son moved into the bungalow four months ago. She stated that the boy spent weekdays with his mother and weekends with his father. Jean was originally from a little town in Wisconsin. She was a hardworking, quiet woman who kept to herself. She was 37 years old.
The boy’s father picked him up in a taxicab yesterday morning. She saw Jean doing yard work yesterday afternoon. They talked briefly—but Jean did not discuss her Saturday-night plans.
Virg Ervin brought up the victim’s car. Where did she get it serviced?
Mrs. Krycki told him to try the local Union 76 station. Ervin got the number from Information, called the station and talked to the proprietor. The man checked his records and came back on the line with a plate number: California / KFE 778.
Ervin called the number in to the El Monte PD switchboard. The switchboard shot it out to all Sheriff’s and local PD units.
The interview continued. Hallinen and Lawton pressed one topic: the victim and her relationships with men.
Mrs. Krycki said that