Dying For LA Ian Jones (the ebook reader .txt) 📖

Simon was going through it so we can put something together, run it as part of the show, and look what he saw.

Even Moran was interested now. The screen changed, a grainy shot of a street, Hollywood Boulevard visible at the top of the screen running left to right. Steel’s was on the right, there were a bunch of men standing outside smoking. Then a fast forward, and an early model Toyota Corolla came into view and pulled up on the opposite side of the road close to the junction with the boulevard. Time clock showed 23:07. Another fast forward to 23:13 and a man got out the car, head down, wearing a dark jacket and a beanie, no sign of his face and disappeared into Steel’s. Fast forward to 23:38 and he emerged from the bar and got back into the Toyota. At the same time two men left a building on the corner at the top and crossed the street walking diagonally down toward the camera.

One of them was John Smith. He walked past with the other, an older man and disappeared.

Next up 23:43 and two men get out of the Toyota walking fast, and enter Steel’s, running out again less than a minute later. Then the off-duty cop appears at the top coming down the street, gun drawn, one of the men, with long hair flying starts shooting, then gets hit and falls down, meanwhile the other jumps in the Toyota which disappears.

Blanic looks at Sammy in amazement.

‘So, you think he is involved? What do the LAPD think?’

Sammy took a deep breath.

‘Right, here’s the thing. You saw my interview with Chief Brady, right? So, I ask him about witnesses, and survivors from the station, and about the British guy I spoke to. And he gets real evasive, changes the subject. Just won’t answer. So, I think OK, ask him after. And I did, but he was even worse, ended up getting shitty with me for even talking about him. Straight away I think I need to speak to this British man, everyone agreed. Now, last night Simon worked on the footage for the show and spotted him, and told me to take a good look. So, I get Brady on the phone, and straight off I realise that it’s news to him. He is all “You’re wrong, you’re wrong, leave it to us, just stay the hell away from this” and I can’t get nothing out of him. Now yesterday I went to see Jimmy Frost to see if he can get any information for me, I haven’t heard back yet. I don’t know what this guy’s part in all this is, but something is going on. For sure, this is not at all as it seems. I think this is big news, and the PD are covering it up. So there is a story here for sure. And I want to get there first.’

Blanic nodded, then smiled.

‘This is very good. This is real journalism, you are doing great work. I am impressed Sammy, and Simon, and I want to thank you for your work. I’m sure Frank feels the same. I mean this is big. Real news. Whatever you need, I want to know.’

Chapter Twelve

It had been a bad night, and it didn’t take long for Rico to realise that the day was likely to be even worse. He and Sal had followed everything to the letter; dumped the car, and then made it back in the most circuitous route possible. It had taken them well over two hours, finally getting back about half past two in the morning. Voorhees had been waiting, dutifully they checked in their unused weapons and had handed over the briefcase then reported exactly what had occurred.

Voorhees said nothing at all about Karl Weiss being shot, in fact he had barely spoken, he just walked into the office with the briefcase and closed the door. Rico and Sal had looked at each other then sat in the kitchen with a beer. All they could do was discuss what had happened in low voices and keep an eye on the door.

Weiss had been jumpy the whole time, right from when they set off in the car. Because there had been so little information Rico and Sal had to make plans as they drove while Weiss sat in the back hopping around and fidgeting with the Walther Voorhees had given him. They reached the bar and Rico had appealed to Weiss to just calm the fuck down. Then Sal walked across and went inside and had a beer, checking the place out. He came back and explained exactly where the target was sitting, the locations of everyone else inside along with exits and the camera locations he had seen. Rico listened then explained carefully how it would play; repeating it several times and then when the time was right got out the car with Weiss who was still acting like a child and they went inside. This part went near enough to plan, the basic idea had been to do a quick scout of the room first in case anything had changed then confront the major but Weiss instantly produced the gun and pulled the trigger, so in the immediate panic and confusion Rico grabbed the briefcase and they got out fast. Outside the bar things rapidly got worse. As soon as they were heading quickly towards the car Weiss had suddenly started letting out loud whoops and parading along the street waving the gun around. A security guard appeared, and then Weiss just started shooting. There was no need at all, the guard was more than forty feet away, the car was close by, they were free and clear. But Weiss kept on shooting, emptying the clip, hitting nothing but buildings and the guard dropped him with a single shot. Rico didn’t hang around just piled in the Toyota and Sal got the fuck out of there.

They had explained this carefully to