The Boy in the Gutter by John Triptych

Author:John Triptych [Triptych, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Private Investigator, asian american, chinese, 1947, Historical, mystery, hard-boiled, noir, mob, 20th century, chinatown, Los Angeles, raymond chandler, the big sleep
Publisher: J Triptych Publishing
Published: 2020-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

THE MOMENT I TURNED my head, I ended up locking eyes with Justin Berdine. Dressed in a shiny black tuxedo, he stood just a few feet behind me. I had read up on him before arriving, and his advancing age did him no favors. The old photographs had portrayed him with a lithe figure, but seeing him now I could tell that despite his limbs being as thin as ever, his chest and torso had widened considerably, giving his body the semblance of an upright rhinoceros beetle.

I was caught someplace where I wasn’t supposed to be. Making a sheepish smile, I started to move sideways, heading for the doorway. “I’m sorry, sir. I lost my way.”

He held his palm up. “Hold on a minute. I haven’t seen you working at my parties before. Is this your first time here?”

“Yes, sir,” I said.

The roar of laughter and mirth coming from outside made him pause for a brief moment. When he spoke again, his voice had become deeper. “You’re not really here as a servant, are you?”

“I beg your pardon, sir?”

Berdine smirked. “I can always tell. You see, I worked in vaudeville for years before I started a career in film. A part of my act during those stage shows was to gauge the audience’s moods, and I would ad-lib my performance, depending on how I felt they would react. That was the secret to why my shows were always hits.”

“If I have offended you, sir, I am truly sorry. I can head back to my station now if that’s alright with you,” I said.

He took out a cigarette from a silver lined case before placing it on an ivory holder. “Let’s speak the truth, you and I. Why are you here?”

“Just to work, sir. I need the money.”

Placing the cigarette holder in his mouth, he took out a gold lighter and began to smoke. “If you persist in keeping up this obvious charade, then I shall call Thompson over. He used to be a British Commando back in the War you know, and he has a talent for inflicting pain. After he’s had his fun we hand you over to the cops, so think about your next answer very carefully.”

I knew then that I had been caught red handed. It was probably better to tell him the truth, but not its entirety. “Okay, you got me, sir. I work for the Benevolent Association of Chinatown,” I said.

“Doing what?”

“I’m investigating the murder of a twelve-year-old boy,” I said. “His name was Willie Chang.”

He puffed a thin stream of smoke towards me. “As you can see, neither my guests nor I have a particular interest in anyone that young.”

“Maybe not you perhaps, but your friends certainly do,” I said.

Berdine’s eyes narrowed. “Explain yourself, please.”

“Does a man named Ira Fertman ring a bell? He goes by the name of Ferret on the streets.”

“I don’t... know of him,” he said. “There’s a lot of people outside my circle of friends who constantly try to ingratiate themselves to take advantage of me.

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