Page 88 (1/2)

“Where’s Clarence?” he said

I talked fast I raved,onW C Fields and kissed on the cheek by Jean Harlow in front of the Vendos popped from my skates I limped home, blind to traffic, deaf to my school chums

“All right, all right, I get the picture!” The old lared around the room “You don’t look like sneaks But Clarence lives as if a ht rape him So—”

Cruripped his false teeth with his gums

“I don’t want no trouble here!” he whined

“Don’t worry Clarence called us, afraid So we came”

Crulanced around

“Have Sopwith call me Okay?”

The old man squinted at the card “Venice police? When will they clean ’em up?”

“What?”

“The canals! Garbage The canals!”

Crumley steered me out

“I’ll look into it”

“Into what?” the old man wondered

“The canals,” said Crue”