``Well, anyway, we'll need you to stay here to answer a few questions so you might as well settle in cause it's going to be a long night.''
I lit another cigarette. ``Yeah, figures.'' .d.
--------
``Excuse me, excuse me, officer. Officer Winters, is it? May I have a minute to speak with my client?''
``Who the hell are you?''
``Sidney Arthur. I am Mister Marlowe's attorney. Here's my card. It will only take a minute.''
``Sure. Why not. A minute is all you get, buddy.''
``Hey Phil. Can we step over here officer. We're not going anywhere.
That was bum luck you ran into the beat cops out here in the Wilshire precinct. I don't know what it is with these guys. They all got itches they can't scratch. It makes them slow. The old pros from downtown were probably too busy scoring Bay Meadows for New Year's to make a fuss over one plugged reindeer.
Listen Marlowe, here's the angle. The Bryson is just a couple blocks west on Wilshire from Alvarado so that makes this downtown territory. I bet the boys at Central handed it over to the Wilshire beat here. If you call the dicks in Central and tell them there's more here than their boondock buddies can handle, they might listen. Tell them that one of Klaus's guys took a messy fall in their backyard. Tell them your client is the building owner and wants the whole business quieted down or clean or something. But their guys on the scene here are asking too many questions. They've got you in a corner and you need some breathing room. For old times sake or something. You see where I going with this?
So then I call the owner, that way you're off the hook stalling for time here. I tell Mickey his fancy joint on Wilshire is going to be in the papers tomorrow unless he hires you to set things straight. I've done a few favors for him in the old days. He trusts me. And besides, hell it's the truth anyway.
Come on Marlowe.''
``So what do you get out of it?''
``Me? Doing Mickey a favor in this town is worth more than whatever he's going to pay you to clean this up.''
``Sidney, you lost your license five years ago for pulling stunts like this.''
``Yeah, Marlowe, that's why I need this break. You're going to make some bucks just for sweet talking downtown into doing what they do anyway, which is nothing. Rudolph here ends up in the freezers as a John Doe. The legend lives, but who knows where. Klaus gets one for free. Micky spends a little money and one of his fancy real estate investments stays clean. And believe me, your buddies downtown are going to make a killing at Bay Meadows. Mickey can make sure of that. I find out who's good for New Years, I tell you, you tell them what you heard on the street. See? That's why they'll go for it. That's the first thing they'll ask you when they find out Mickey owns this place. They know who runs things and it ain't them. Be a pal.''
``Sure Sidney. And I get tied up with the biggest crook in the city.''
``No, no, no. Marlowe. You work for the real estate company. They hired you. Make the downtown boys sweat it out of you. Then it comes out Mickey probably has some money in the company somewhere, but you work for this dame in the office. Snow White something. I'll cover for that angle.
Her name is Gloria White. She's in her twenties, tall, black hair, real nice. Mickey calls her Snow White, but Gloria is her real name. This dead reindeer business makes you look bad in front of Miss White. You know how to lead them.
What do you say?''
CG