My Dark Places - James Ellroy [6]
Hallinen and Lawton quizzed Ellroy on his ex-wife’s social life. He told them Jean was a secretive woman who kept things to herself. She lied when it suited her—and she was really 43, not the 37 she claimed. She was promiscuous and an alcoholic. His son found her in bed with strange men on several occasions. Her recent move to El Monte could only be explained as a run from or run to some lowlife she was seeing. Jean was secretive about her private life because she knew he wanted to prove her an unfit mother—and thus gain full-time custody of his son.
Hallinen and Lawton asked Ellroy to name his ex-wife’s specific boyfriends. He told them he only knew one name: Hank Hart, a fat blue-collar type missing one thumb.
Hallinen and Lawton thanked Ellroy for his cooperation and walked to an interview room down the hall. Some off-duty cops were keeping the victim’s kid company.
The boy was bucking up nicely. He was hanging in tough all the way.
Hallinen and Lawton handled him gently. The boy confirmed his father’s account of the weekend down to the smallest detail. He said he only knew the names of two men his mom went out with: Hank Hart and a teacher at his school named Peter Tubiolo.
It was 9:00 p.m. Ward Hallinen gave the boy a candy bar and walked him down the hall to see his father.
Armand Ellroy hugged his son. The kid hugged him back. They both looked relieved and strangely happy.
The boy was released to Armand Ellroy’s custody. A cop drove them to the El Monte bus station. They caught a 9:30 Freeway Flyer back to L.A.
Virg Ervin drove Hallinen and Lawton to the Royal Palms Apartments. They showed their snapshot and ran their standard line of questions by Bert Outlaw and Myrtle Mawby.
Both women recognized the picture. Both women stated that the victim was not a Desert Inn regular—although she was in the place last night. She was sitting with a small-built man with straight black hair and a thin face. They were the last two patrons to leave—at closing time, 2:00 a.m.
Both women stated that they’d never seen the small-built man before.
Myrtle Mawby said they should call Margie Trawick. She was sitting by the bar earlier in the evening and might have something to add. Jack Lawton dialed the number Ellis Outlaw gave them. Margie Trawick picked up.
Lawton ran some preliminary questions by her. Margie Trawick came on strong—she did see an attractive redhead sitting with a group of people last night. Lawton told her to meet him at the El Monte Police Station in half an hour.
Ervin drove Lawton and Hallinen back to the station. Margie Trawick was waiting for them. She came off as high-strung and anxious to help.
Hallinen showed her the Jean Ellroy snapshot. She ID’d it flat out.
Ervin split for the Desert Inn—to show that snapshot around. Hallinen and Lawton got Margie Trawick comfortable and let her talk without interruption.
She said she wasn’t employed by the Desert Inn—but she’d waitressed there sporadically for the past nine years. She recently underwent major surgery and enjoyed going to the place strictly for fun.
She arrived around 10:10 last night. She sat down at a table near the bar and had a few drinks. The redhead walked in the door about 10:45 or 11:00. She was accompanied by a heavyset dishwater blonde with a ponytail. The blonde was about 40— the same age as the redhead.
The redhead and the blonde sat down at a table. A Mexican-looking man walked over immediately and helped the redhead off with her coat. They headed to the dance floor and began dancing.
The man was 35 to 40, 5′8″ to 6′. He had a slender build and dark hair slicked back from a widow’s peak. He had a swarthy complexion. He was wearing a dark suit and a white shirt open at the throat.
The man seemed to know the two women.
Another man asked Margie to dance. He was 25-ish, light-haired, medium height and build. He was wearing sloppy clothes and tennis shoes. He was drunk.
Margie declined his invitation. The drunk got snotty and walked off. A short while later she saw him dancing with the dishwater blonde.
Other things distracted