Page 18 (1/2)

Soreen cards So on expired cards

After I settled up in court, I decided to play it straight from then on I made up my mind to hire only Mexicans with valid work cards And if I couldn’t find enough of those, I was going to hire US citizens You knohat? I was stupid I was really stupid to think I could stay in business that way See, I can only afford to pay e tomyself thin The problee If you’re a citizen, you can getthan you can e

And the welfare’s tax-free So I just about went crazy for about two oing out on schedule I nearly had a heart attack See, my customers are places like hotels, et their stuff back fast and on a dependable schedule If I hadn’t started hiring Mexicans again, I’d have gone out of business"

Frank didn’t want to hear anysharp, but Tony put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently, urging him to be patient

"Look," Garaal aliens welfare and free medical care and like that But I can’t see the sense in deporting the jobs that no one else wants to do It’s ridiculous It’s a disgrace" He sighed again, looked at the , and said, "Yeah, I know this guy"

"We heard he used to work here"

"That’s right"

"When?"

"Beginning of the summer, I think May Part of June"

"After he skipped out on his parole officer," Frank said to Tony

"I don’t know anything about that," Garaive you?" Tony asked

"Juan"

"Last name?"

"I don’t remember He was only here six weeks or so But it’ll still be in the files"

Garamalkis stepped down froh the stealances of the employees In the front office he asked the secretary to check the files, and she found the right pay record in a iven an address on La Brea Avenue

"Did he really live at this aparted "It wasn’t the sort of iround credit check"

"Did he say why he was quitting?"

"No"

"Did he tell you where he was going?"

"I’m not his mother"

"I mean, did he mention another job?"

"No He just cut out"

"If we don’t find Mazquezza at this address," Tony said, "we’d like to coot to know him Maybe somebody here’s still friends with him"

"You can come back if you want," Gara to , he said, "A lot of therinned back at him and said, "Yo leo, escribo y hablo español"

"Ah," Garamalkis said, impressed

The secretary made a copy of the pay record for them, and Tony thanked Garamalkis for his cooperation

In the car, as Frank pulled into traffic and headed toward La Brea Avenue, he said, "I’ve got to hand it to you"

Tony said, "What’s that?"

"You got more out of him quicker than I could have"

Tony was surprised by the compliment For the first time in their three-month association, Frank had admitted that his partner’s techniques were effective

"I wish I had a little bit of your style," Frank said "Not all of it, you understand I still think my way’s best most of the time But now and then we run across someone who’d never open up to uts to you in about a minute flat Yeah, I wish I had a little of your smoothness"

"You can do it"

"Not ot a ith people," Frank said "I don’t"

"You can learn it"

"Nah It works out well enough the way it is We’ve got the classicat it With us, it just sort of naturally works out that way"

"You’re not a mean cop"

Frank didn’t respond to that As they stopped at a red light, he said, "There’s soot to say, and you probably won’t like it"

"Try ht"

"Hilary Thomas?"

"Yeah You liked her, didn’t you?"

"Wellsure She seeh"

"That’s not what I mean I mean, you liked her You had the hots for her"

"Oh, no She was good looking, but I didn’t--"

"Don’t play innocent with ht changed

They rode in silence for a block

Finally, Tony said, "You’re right I don’t get all hot and bothered by every pretty girl I see

You know that"

"Sometimes I think you’re a eunuch"

"Hilary Thomas isdifferent And it’s not just the way she looks She’s gorgeous, of course, but that’s not all of it I like the way she moves, the way she handles herself I like to listen to her talk Not just the sound of her voice More than that I like the way she expresses herself I like the way she thinks"

"I like the way she looks," Frank said, "but the way she thinks leaves ," Tony said

"You heard what the sheriff--"

"She ht have been mixed up about exactly what happened to her, but she didn’t create the whole story out of thin air She probably saw someone who looked like Frye, and she--"

Frank interrupted "Here’s where I’ve got to say what you won’t want to hear"