Neon Nights: Daymond Runyon meets James Ellroy in the Nevada Desert by John Hudson

Author:John Hudson [Hudson, John]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Hudson Communications
Published: 2014-01-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Love is Strange or is it Strange Love

I arrived at Union Station a few minutes after four. I was anxious to make contact with the Los Angeles Police. I hailed a cab and told him to take me to the police headquarters.

Hoyt Turner told me to talk to Captain Gant. The desk sergeant told me I could find him on the third floor. I gave Gant the envelope Hoyt Turner gave me. He read it and said, "You need to talk to Officer Davis. He handles all the information on the mob guys. You'll find him down the hall in office two fourteen. Just tell him I said to help you with this."

Officer Charlie Davis was a fire plug in a shinny suit. I couldn't help but observe that the Los Angeles Police Department must allow their officers to stay on the job as long as they wanted because Patrolman Davis was a lot older than I expected. Apparently they didn't care if they stayed in very good shape either, because, even though he was big, he was also fat.

He wasn't impressed I came all the way from Nevada to find Carmine Tonelli. He threw my letter on his desk and told me to wait while he proceeded to make several phone calls. When he finished, he looked at me like he wasn't quite sure why I was still here. He said in his thick New York accent, "Who was dat you were looking for?" ‘

"Carmine Tonelli."

Davis shook his head. "Can't say de name means anything to me, who is he?"

This guy had to be senile! I handed him Carmine's picture and said, "This is who I'm looking for."

He looked at the picture and handed it back. "He's part of the Cohen mob."

"I know that. Do you know where I can find him?"

Davis looked over his glasses. "No, but take it easy, kid. I'll check around tomorrow and see what I can come up with. What did you say dat guy's name was?"

I shoved the picture back into the folder. "Forget it! I don't think you could find your ass with both hands! Let alone a mob killer!" I stood up and walked toward the door.

"Carmine Tonelli won't be easy ta find." I turned around and Patrolman Davis was smiling at me. He rolled up his sleeve and put his elbow on the desk. "I'll tell you what," he said. "I'll arm wrestle you for de information. If I win, you buy me a beer and I'll look tomorrow. If I lose, I'll stay late and look it up tonight. What’d you say?"

This guy was crazy. I didn't want to arm wrestle him. "I don't think so."

"What’s the madder--afraid of losing?"

"To an old guy like you? You got to be kidding. I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

"Afraid of hurting me? If I were you kiddo, I'd worry about getting my shoulder thrown out of joint."

This guy was nuts and I wasn't going to play along with him. "That's okay," I said.

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