This Storm

by James Ellroy

thugs. He robs banks and jewelry stores. He stows away on a steamship and comes here. It’s ’27 now. He migrates to California and settles in Oakland. He reverts to armed robbery. Liquor-store jobs. There’s always cash on hand. It’s high risk for low yield. Fritz falls behind multiple counts. He gets twenty-five to life at Big Q. Fritz becomes a virtuoso jailhouse lawyer. He learns to write Federal writs. He secures a retrial. The Federal court’s in L.A. Fritz Wilhelm Eckelkamp. Missing since 5/18/31. Karl Frederick Tullock. Reported missing 1/12/34. Ashida chalked brain notes. He reviewed his stat sheets and compiled a checklist. Secure Eckelkamp’s Oakland police file. Secure his Quentin file. Secure Tullock’s Santa Barbara Sheriff’s personnel file. The mint train resumes its southbound journey. There’s a second track snafu. The heist occurs then. The theft is discovered at the Santa Barbara stop. Leander Frechette is grabbed for it. Karl Tullock “beats on him.” A Negro preacher intercedes and greases Frechette’s release. The preacher has “cop friends in L.A.” Frechette drops from sight. Where is he now? Who’s the preacher? What cop friends in L.A.? Ashida switched page books. He jumped from gold to fire. He logged more sketchy coverage. It’s late September ’33. We’re into Indian summer. It’s hot in L.A. The heat provokes unrest. There’s leftist agitation and a garment workers’ strike. It’s now October 3. The blaze occurs. The death toll mounts. It may or may not be arson....