The Cold Six Thousand - James Ellroy [259]
He called Sonny Liston. He said where’d you brace that A-rab? Sonny said the Desert Dawn Motel. He hit the Desert Dawn. He bribed the desk clerk. He checked registration stats.
Bam: Sirhan B. Sirhan/Pasadena, California.
He flew back to L.A. He called the DMV. He got Sirhan’s full stats. He called Fred O. He said sit tight. He said I’ll stake him out.
Carlos called last night. Carlos waxed sly. You figured it out. Fred O. said so. You know, I’m not surprised.
Carlos waxed assertive then. Carlos said this:
Ward’s soft on Bobby. You know Ward. He’s liberal martyr Littell. Sever contact for now. Ward’s smart. Ward smells things. Conniver Littell.
Pete said sure. I’ll do it. You know I want out.
Carlos laughed. Pete saw Big D. Jack’s head goes ka-blooey. Jackie dives for scraps.
Chez Sirhan: A small crib/old wood-frame/near Muir High School. Car Sirhan: A jig rig/spinners and skirts/a coon maroon Ford.
Pete pulled up. Pete parked. Pete waited. Pete chewed Nicorette gum.
He thought about Barb. He ran the radio. He got some Barb tunes. He got the news—dig it—King Killer at Large!
He thought about Wayne. Wayne the spook assassin. Jigs from Wendell Durfee on up. He ran instincts. He laid bets. Wayne Senior sandbagged Wayne. Wayne Senior recruited him. It was fucked-up daddy stuff.
He ran the dial. He got more King. He got Bobby campaign stuff.
Sirhan walked out.
He darted. He walked funny. He smoked. He skimmed a racing form. He sideswiped a tree. He face-plowed a hedge.
Two kids walked by. They ogled Sirhan—dig on that freak!
Sirhan walked funny. Sirhan looked funny. Sirhan had wild hair and big teeth. Sirhan dropped his cigarette. Sirhan lit a cigarette. Sirhan flashed yellow teeth.
Sirhan got in his car. Sirhan U-turned. Sirhan drove southeast.
Pete tailed him. Sirhan was a track nut. Odds on Santa Anita. Odds on the spring meet.
Sirhan drove funny. Sirhan waved his hands. Sirhan straddled lanes. Pete tailed him close. Fuck the laws of tail work. Sirhan was stone nuts.
They drove southeast. They hit Arcadia. They hit the track lot. Sirhan brodied. Sirhan parked erratic. Pete parked close up.
Sirhan got out. Sirhan pulled a pint of vodka. Sirhan took little pops. Pete got out. Pete tailed him. Pete dogged him cane-first.
Sirhan walked funny. Sirhan walked fast. Pete walked heart-attack slow.
Sirhan hit the turnstiles. Sirhan dropped change. Sirhan said, “Bleacher seat.” Pete bought a cheap seat. Pete huffed for breath. Pete tailed Sirhan slooooooooooow.
Sirhan pushed through people. Sirhan pushed funny. Sirhan used darty elbows. People gawked—check that clown/what a freak!
Sirhan stopped. Sirhan pulled out his scratch sheet. Sirhan cognified.
He studied the sheet. He picked his nose. He flicked snot. He licked a pencil. He circled nags. He jabbed at his ears. He dug earwax. He sniffed it. He flicked it off.
He walked. Pete cane-walked slow. Sirhan pulled a wad of dollar bills. Sirhan hit the two-dollar window.
He bet six races. He bet all longshots—two dollars per. He talked funny. He talked stilted. He talked fast.
The cage man passed him tickets. Sirhan walked. Pete tailed him slow. Sirhan walked fast. Sirhan pulled his jug every six steps.
He took a pop. He took six steps. He imbibed again. Pete counted steps. Pete tailed him. Pete yukked.
They hit the bleachers. Sirhan studied faces. Sirhan studied faces slooooow. He stared. His eyes darted. His eyes flared and flashed.
Pete got it:
He’s looking for demons. He’s scouting for Jews.
Sirhan stood still. Sirhan stared. Sirhan saw big beaks. Sirhan smelled Jew.
Sirhan walked. Sirhan grabbed a seat. Sirhan perched by some groovy girls. The girls checked him out. The girls went ugh. The girls went P-U.
Pete took a seat. Pete sat one bleacher up. Pete checked the view: the paddock/the track/the nags at the gate.
The bell rang. The nags tore ass. Sirhan went nuts.
He yelled. He shrieked go go go. His shirttail hiked up. Pete saw a bullet pouch. Pete saw a .38 snub.
Sirhan slurped vodka. Sirhan yelled in Arabic. Sirhan