“At night,” Wolf said, “he dresses up like a woman and goes out to nightclubs. That's about it.”
“So you are giving up?” I asked. “Just like that?”
“It's been over a week,” Bannon said. “Hoover has been on me like a rabid dog to nab this guy, but we just don't have a strong enough case against him.”
“He has the bicycles,” I said. “And he went to Patty's house, right?”
“Yes,” Bannon said. “By the way, where is Patty? It's awfully late.”
“I don't know,” I answered. “I can't keep up with her. I've told her a million times not to go out alone at night. She just doesn't listen.”
“Well,” Bannon said, “we have something else to tell you about Patty.”
“What?” I asked, panicking.
“James Allen is friends with her,” he replied.
“Friends with Patty?” I asked. “How do you know?”
“We've been investigating this man for a while now,” Bannon answered. “And he knows Patty, trust me! That is probably why he went to her house that night. He could have even been checking on her out of concern.”
“They had an affair, didn't they?” I asked.
“No,” Bannon said. “They weren't that good of friends! Allen isn't interested in women in that way. But my point is, he knows her. They are acquaintances. It wasn't the first time he'd stopped by to see her.”
“So you're chasing the wrong rabbit,” I said.
“It kind of looks that way,” Bannon said.
Wolf had been silent during our entire conversation, which was unusual for him. So I asked him point blankly what he thought of the situation.
“I think Bannon may be right,” he said. “I'm sorry, Bay, Allen may not be our man after all.”
“But what about the bicycle tire tracks?” I asked. “Didn't you both tell me that no one else in California had tires like that? Isn't that evidence enough?”
“Unfortunately, it is nowhere near enough,” Bannon answered.
The telephone at my desk rang suddenly, scaring the hell out of all three of us. I didn't even know the damned thing had been installed yet.
“Bay here,” I said.
“Bay, this is Kots,” the voice answered. “All three of you need to get down to the L.A. hospital right away!”
“Why?” I asked. “What the hell is going on?”
“I have to go now,” Kots said. “Just get to the hospital and bring Bannon and Wolf! Now!”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Kots met us at the hospital entrance and quickly ushered us into a waiting room on the first floor.
“We were watching Allen, like usual,” Kots said. “But this time instead of going home after hitting the night clubs, he drove by Patty's place.”
“Cut to the chase!” I said sternly. “What the hell is going on? Why are we at the hospital!”
“Patty is okay,” Kots replied. “It's Allen who is in not so good shape.”
“Go on,” Bannon said.
“Patty was at her place,” Kots explained, “and Allen pulled into her driveway. We were there two minutes later, but it was too late. He'd already gone into the house and apparently there was a struggle.”
“Where is she?” I asked. “Where is Patty?”
“She's upstairs,” Kots replied. “She only has a few cuts and bruises. She somehow managed to get the knife out of his hands.”
“Damn it!” I yelled. “Take me to her! Show me to her room!”
Patty lay sleeping in her hospital bed. The nurses said she was fine physically, but was in hysterics when she arrived, so they gave her a sedative so she could rest. There were B.O.I agents outside her door for her protection.
“Where is Allen?” Bannon asked one of the men.
“He's down the hall in room 1982,” he replied.
“I don't want that bastard anywhere near Patty!” I yelled. “Why would they put them in the same hospital? And on the same damned floor!”
“The police don't even know about this yet,” Kots said. “We can't tip them off. The hospital staff thinks it was a domestic dispute. They are already questioning who all these strange men are. It's just a matter of time until this whole thing explodes and the media finds out.”
“We've got to charge him right away,” Bannon said. “This was the evidence we've been waiting for.”
“Damn it, Bannon!” I yelled. “You were about to let him go! You were just telling me that!”
“That was then,” he replied. “This is now! If that man tried to kill Patty, that changes the whole ballgame! Cops are going to be tipped off on this by morning! I have to get to the state prosecutor and present all the evidence the minute he walks into his office. The timing on this thing is crucial!”
“You do what you have to,” I said. “But I am not leaving her here alone.”
“We have agents watching over her,” Kots said.
“Your agents didn't keep this from happening,” I said. “Don't try to tell me that your agents have everything under control.”
I camped out in Patty's room and left it up to the others to keep an eye on Allen. Eventually, I fell asleep in a chair and Bela came to visit me.
“Whatever happened to that story you were writing?” Lugosi asked.
“What story?” I asked.
“The one about me,” he replied.
“I never finished it,” I answered. “It was a ridiculous premise anyway. No one would buy it. The idea of you being a real vampire, I mean.”
“I take offense to that,” Bela said. “I thought it was a very good story, and I made a good Dracula, don't you agree?”
“But it's just a story,” I said. “I have been distracted from writing lately by things that are real. And where the hell are you anyway?”
The sound of winged animals and howling wind drowned out Lugosi's voice. I can't be sure what he was saying, but it sounded horrifying. Like he was trying to tell me something I didn't know. Then, in a flash, he was gone.
“Bay?” a voice called out as I came to.
“Yes,” I said, opening my eyes.
Patty was sitting in her bed in front of me. I stood up and embraced her. She looked tired as hell. But she was alive.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I went home to get the rest of my make-up,” she said. “As soon as I walked into the door, James Allen showed up. It was horrible!”
“You know him, don't you?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “He was a friend. I didn't want to tell you before, because I know you wouldn't have approved. He is crazy, Bay! But I had no idea he was capable of murdering anyone!”
“Patty,” I said. “This is very important. The detectives are going to be asking you a lot of questions. You're going to have to tell this story over and over again. It is not going to be easy, but you have to do it. I just want you to know that I will be here for you every step of the way.”
“It happened so fast,” she said. “There's not much to tell, really. He came into the house and followed me into the kitchen. I tried not to let on that I was afraid. Suddenly, he had a knife and started attacking me. I pushed his arm down hard as he was trying to stab me, and it went into his stomach. That is all I remember.”
James Allen was about to be charged with five counts of murder in what was sure to be the biggest courtroom trial in history.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Dr. Richard Kraus made me step out of the room while he examined Patty. I wasn't crazy about the idea of leaving, but had no choice, really.
“What is your name?” I asked the B.O.I agent who was standing guard outside Patty's room.
“Detective Blatt,” he said, extending his hand.
“Everyone is either a detective, a colonel or a doctor around here,” I replied. “My name is Bay.”
“Yes,” Blatt replied. “I know who you are.”
“What's the story on Allen?” I asked, pointing down the hallway.
; “They moved him last night after surgery,” the detective answered. “He's at the state hospital in Patton now.”
“Well, good,” I said. “I didn't want him close to Patty.”
“That's why they moved him, sir,” Blatt replied. “Colonel Kots had to argue with the physicians. They didn't want to move him right after having sewn his stomach up. Kots had to pull out the big guns. Hoover himself called and spoke to the head surgeon.”
“The state hospital in Patton,” I said. “Why does that sound so familiar?”
“Beats me, sir,” Blatt said. “It's a pretty big hospital. I am sure you've heard of it before.”
“Tammy!” I said. “I think that is where Tammy lives!”
“Tammy?” the detective asked. “Who is that?”
“Tammy Albright!” I replied. “Patty's sister!”
“I wouldn't worry,” Blatt said. “He is under lock and key. Plus he has a pretty good wound to the belly. He's not going to be walking around anytime soon.”
“Stranger things have happened,” I replied.
Dr. Kraus finally came out of Patty's room and briefed me on her condition.
“She is shell shocked,” he explained.
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked.
“It means she is still in a state of shock from what happened to her last night,” Dr. Kraus answered.
“With all due respect,” I said, “I could have told you that.”
“I am recommending she see a psychiatrist right away,” the doctor continued. “Hers is a very serious case. I am sending Dr. Klein up to see her today.”
“Can I take her home after that?” I asked.
“That will be up to Dr. Klein,” he answered.
Before I could ask any more questions, Dr. Kraus was off and running.
“Son of a bitch!” I said. “She's not hurt! I don't want her staying in the hospital another night!”
“She may not be hurt physically,” Detective Blatt said, “but mentally. These people know what they are doing, Bay. You better listen to them.”
“Shouldn't you have someone with you here?” I asked. “I want two men guarding her.”
Blatt opened his jacket to reveal a large revolver.
“My partner here and I can handle it,” he said. “Don't worry.”
I talked to Patty for a few minutes before I left. She assured me she would be fine, but that she would like to talk to a professional about what had happened to her.
“I will come back to take you home tonight,” I said. “Unless you want me to stay.”
“You go make a movie,” Patty said. “That's what I would do if I were you. And I know how much you hate hospitals.”
By the time I reached the set of Man's Castle, I had worked myself up into a frenzy. I was dying to know if the California state prosecutor had agreed to charge Allen in the Hollywood murders.
Spencer Tracy could tell that there was something wrong with me. It wasn't lost on director Frank Borzage either. I was forgetting my lines and flat out unable to act. It was the first time that had ever happened to me.
After flubbing the same scene half a dozen times, Borzage finally sent me home.
“We have other scenes to shoot today,” the director said. “You come back when you are ready, Bay.”
It was embarrassing. But they were right. I was wasting everyone's time.
As I walked off the set I overheard one of the crew say, “He's just having an off day. We all have those.”
I got into the Packard that Bela had given me and started driving. The trouble was, I didn't know where to go. I thought about going to the Federal Building downtown to see if I could find Wolf and Bannon. Then I thought about trying to find the state hospital at Patton. Perhaps I should try to see Tammy to tell her what had happened. In the end, I drove in circles until I ended up at Bela's house.
“Bay!” Bela's housekeeper yelled. “I glad you here! Mr. Lugosi still not home! I worried! Four days now, not home! Police do nothing!”
“He's probably having such a good time on his honeymoon that he decided to extend it,” I replied. “I am sure they are fine!”
“Coast Guard man said boat still missing!” Yioko said. “Boat not seen anywhere! Not like Mr. Lugosi to miss work! You know that!”
“You talked to the Coast Guard?” I asked.
“Yes,” Yioko replied. “They call me everyday, still not find! Boat was in ocean and big storm!”
I didn't need anything else to worry about. But there I was. Yioko could easily have misunderstood what they were saying. So I picked the phone up and called the damned Coast Guard.
Chapter Forty-Nine
It wasn't good news. The Coast Guard confirmed that the boat Bela had rented was last seen 100 miles off the coast of California just before a big storm hit. I remembered my dream from last night where Bela was trying to tell me something. The howling wind I'd heard made sense now. Lugosi was in trouble. Or worse, he and Lillian could be dead.
“We've had all eyes out looking for them,” the Coast Guard officer assured me. “The Lucifer is officially a missing vessel and we're doing everything we can to locate her.”
“The what?” I asked.
“Mr. Lugosi's vessel,” he answered.
“Bela rented a boat called The Lucifer?” I asked. “You've got to be kidding me!”
“No, that is the name of the boat,” the man answered.
I hung up the phone confident that Bela had made a wrong turn and ended up in Mexico or somewhere.
“Don't worry, Yioko,” I said. “They will be back soon.”
“Too many phone calls!” she said as she disappeared into the kitchen.”Wolf just call for you, too!”
“Did he leave a number?” I shouted.
“On desk!” Yioko replied.
I ran down the hallway to Lugosi's library. There were dozens of papers scattered on the desk, written in gibberish by Yioko. I managed to make out “Wolf call Bay” scrawled on one of them with a phone number.
“Federal Building,” a female voice answered.
“This is Bay,” I said. “I need to talk to Wolf.”
After holding for ten minutes, Wolf finally picked up the phone.
“There's a shit storm brewing down here,” Wolf said. “You wouldn't believe it, Bay!”
“What's going on?” I asked.
“It's a political power struggle between the State of California and the Federal Government!” he explained. “The prosecuting attorney's office can't wait to file charges against Allen. But the governor is dead set against it. It's unbelievable what is happening here!”
“What do you think is going to happen?” I asked Wolf.
“Governor Rolph is committing political suicide here. There's no way he's going to get elected again after this. It's the end for him and a lot of other people in California.”
“Has this made the news yet?” I asked.
“I don't think so,” Wolf replied. “But I am sure it will be all over the newspapers by tomorrow morning.”
“Has anyone questioned Allen?” I asked.
“Bannon talked to him,” he said. “I was there. James Allen isn't saying anything. He wants a lawyer.”
“He's going to need a good one,” I replied.
“That's for damned sure,” Wolf said. “Bannon was about to give up though. It was just too much for him. That's why we came to your house and he told you we didn't have enough to keep tailing Allen. The pressure from Hoover was immense. I can see why detectives plant evidence now just to get a conviction. It's sad, but I am sure it happens.”
“Nothing like that has happened in this case, has it?” I asked.
“No,” Wolf said. “The evidence is clean as a whistle. When Allen attacked Patty, it was all over. That was all they needed to tie it all together.”
“I take it they have film of the attack,” I said. “I mean, when we tried to set him up before, when Eva was impersonating Patty, they had cameras all over
her house.”
“I guess they could see what was going on from The Rose,” Wolf said. “But that isn't film. Remember? That is television. And once it happens, it is gone.”
“That's too bad,” I replied. “Imagine if the jury could see a motion picture of the actual attack. That would have a tremendous impact. Television seems useless to me.”
“You said that about telephones, too,” Wolf said.
“So I did,” I replied.
Yioko was not happy to see me go. She had no one to cook for now.
“You stay, I make you supper!” she said.
“I have my own house now,” I replied. “And by the way, I am going to need a housekeeper. Do you know of anyone?”
“My sister, Miko,” she said. “She good. She lost job. Man wanted sex and she say no!”
“She's hired,” I said. “Send her over right away.”
“I wait,” Yioko replied.
“Wait for what?” I asked. “I will pay her the same as you are getting paid.”
“I wait for Mr. Lugosi come back,” she answered. “If he no come back, if he dead, I come be your housekeeper.”
Chapter Fifty
I drove the five minutes from Bela's house to my new place and got stopped at the gate. The funny thing is, I didn't have a security gate before. Suddenly, I did. There was a security guard in a booth who cautiously approached my vehicle.
“Who are you here to see?” the man asked.
“No one,” I replied. “Why? Who is here?”
“There's no one at home right now,” the security guard answered, “so I'm afraid you'll have to move on.”
“Normally I would be obliged to comply with that request,” I responded, “but there's a little problem here.”
“What is that, sir?” he asked.
“I live here!” I yelled. “Who the hell put a gate up on my property without my permission?”
“You are Gretch Bayonne?” the security guard asked.
“Yes,” I answered. “But my friends call me Bay.”
“One moment please,” he said, hurrying back to his little security booth.
The Hollywood Murders-The Gretch Bayonne Action Adventure Series-Book 3 Page 14