Analysis of John Mallioy-Private Dick (chapter 2)

+*John Malone- Private Dick*+
                     (chapter 2)
          *Lana Makes a Confession*

My lamps were gazing at the most perfect example I've ever seen of American womanhood in my short, checkered life!

She was dressed to the nines in this slinky red number, with the cutest felt fedora ever found on the hat market. Her face was chiseled perfection, with deep, brown peppers, looking like seduction on steroids. Her hair was straight and a shiny jet-black. She looked for all the world like Hedy Lamar's twin sister, which I'd mentioned to her.

"Excuse my manners,"  I finally croaked out. "Park that fine caboose in that chair over there, dollface! Tell daddy all about it."

"My!" She smiled, blushing, prettily. "You are certainly a direct sort of character, aren't you, Mister Mallone?"

She rotated those round hips over to my flowery wingback opposite my battered desk, and sat down, gracefully.

I ankled back around my desk and took a seat. "You'll have to excuse the rough edges," I grinned. "I'm not used to hobnobbing with ladies of breeding. I'm just a palooka from the wrong side of the tracks who doesn't know a salad fork from a tuning fork."

That got a delicious, throaty laugh from this vision from heaven. "That is perfectly alright, Mister Mallone. I'm from the poor side of  Hollywood, myself"

"I'll make a deal with you, doll, "I offered, "If you share your moniker with me, you can stop calling me Mister Mallone and call me John."

"That is a deal, John," she chuckled. "My name is  Lana Rogers. I was referred by a former client of yours, Margaret Grayson.  She said you did a marvelous job for her concerning something quite sensitive. I am in need of a private detective who can be discreat."

"Discreat is my middle name, Lana. What can I do you for, kid?"

She got the cutest frown on her delicate pan, and almost whispered,   "I was recently invited to a Hollywood cocktail part by the producer, George Kukor. I'm going to try out for a bit part in his upcoming movie, Adam's Rib. It will be starring  Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. It could be the break I have been waiting for."

I whistle. "That sounds darby, kid. What's the catch?"
.
"I'm afraid it's a rather large catch, John. I'm being blackmailed by a simply horrid  police detective,  Sergeant Bill Withers, over a lapse in descretion on my part, recently."

"I take it this flatfoot is a vice cop.
That rats nest is famous for corruption, all over L.A."

"That's  correct, John," she says, shaking her casaba. "This brings me to the reason your discretion being  of vital importance to me."

"Don't worry, Lana. I can button my lip with the best of 'em! What's  this creep got in you?"

The dish takes a long time before she takes a deep breath again and slowly kets it out. "When I was attending that party," she falters, "is when I met the young man,  working as a bartender. His name is Scotty Bowers. I learned from him that he is a friend of  Mister Kukor.  Sotty works at a gas station on Hollywood Boulevard.

I break in. "I think I know that Richmond station. It's right on the corner that crosses Van Ness, isn't it!"

"That's right, John," she tried to smile. "But working at that gas station isn't how Mister Bowers makes his living."

I hold up my hand like a traffic cop.
"Put a cabosh on the dialogue, right there, little sister!  Slap a fin on my desk, and whatever you say after that goes to my grave with me!"

She smiled at me, sweetly, and I felt my ticker melt. She put a fiver on my desk, and I scribbled out a receipt.

"Go on," I tell her.

"Alright, John.  As I was about to say, he makes his living as a homosexual prostitute, and a sexual procurer for some of Hollywood's  biggest movie stars. He caters to both bi-sexual and homosexual actors." She looks at me, kinda quizical. "Have I shocked you, yet?"

"You could say that, kid, but only because I took you for an innocent polyananna-type gal."

I suppose I really am, at heart," she said, with a charming  blush.

"How'd you get the inside dope on this palooka, anyway?"

"While I was at that party,"she began, "I had a long ,talk with Mister Bowers. After I had told him how tight money was for me, he confided in me, I suppose because he felt he could trust me. He told me  of quick way to earn a hundred dollars in one evening  You see, he is very protective of his clients' reputations. They trust him with the truth bout their private livee.  He swore me to secrecy. The only reason I'm sharing that information with you is because I need your help."

"I think I'm clued to how he suggested the way to get a C note."

she took a deep breath, and let it ourlt, real slow."You're right, John. He said he could take me to a famous actress who would pay me a hundred dollars to make love to me.
At first, I said no way would I do that. Then he told me who it was. I have always been a huge fan of hers, and changed my mind. I really needed the money, John. I was about to be evelicted from my apartment!"

I thought this over over for a few seconds. My mind kept getting visions of this sexy tomato and another dame, doing the horizontal bop. I made a mental note not to stand up for a while. "This actress you spent the evening with ....is she gonna  be in the flicker you're trying to get into?"

She got this impish grin on her lovely puss. "Why do you ask that, John?"

I was just wondering if her handle rhymed with Katherine Hepburn. That's all."

She smiled and clicked her tongue,wagging a dainty finger at me. "You are a naughty little boy...aren't you, John?"