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.''Hmm,' said Schwinn, writing.'So Melinda's a bad influence on Janie but youlet Janie sleep over Melinda's house.''Let?' said Ingalls, coughing.'You got kids?''Haven't been blessed.''Figures you ask me that.Nowadays, kids don't get let anything.They dowhatever the hell they want to.Can't even get her to tell me where she'sgoing.Or to stay in school.I tried dropping her off, personally, but shejust went in, waited till I was gone, and left.That's why I figured this wasabout school.What is it about, anyway? She in trouble?'Page 37 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html'You've had trouble with Janie before?''No,' said Ingalls.'Not really.Like I said, just school and running around.Being gone for a few days.But she always comes back.Let me tell you, man,you can't control 'em.Once the hippies got in and took over the city, forgetit.Her mother was a hippie back in the hippie days.Hippie junkie slut, ranout on us, left me with Janie.''Janie into drugs?''Not around here,' said Ingalls.'She knows better than that.' He blinkedseveral times, grimaced, trying to clear his head and not succeeding.'What'sthis about? What'd she do?'Ignoring the question, Schwinn kept writing.Then: 'Hollywood High.whatyear's she in?' 'Second year.' 'Sophomore.'Another delayed-reaction nod from Ingalls.How many of the cans had beenconsumed this morning?'Sophomore.' Schwinn copied that down.'When's her birthday?' 'Um.March,'said Ingalls.'March.um.ten.' 'She was sixteen last March ten.' 'Yeah.'Sixteen-and-a-half-year-old sophomore, thought Milo.A year behind.Borderlineintelligence? Some kind of learning problem? Yet another factor that hadpropelled her toward victimhood? If she was the one.He glanced at Schwinn but Schwinn was still writing and Milo hazarded aquestion of his own: 'School's hard for Janie, huh?' Schwinn's eyebrows rosefor a second, but he kept making notes.'She hates it,' said Ingalls.'Canbarely read.That's why she hated to-' The bloodshot eyes filled with fear.'What's going on? What'd she do?'Focused on Milo, now.Looking to Milo for an answer, but that was one ad libMilo wasn't going to risk, and Ingalls shifted his attention back to Schwinn.'C'mon, what's going on, man? What'd she do?''Maybe nothing,' said Schwinn, producing the blue envelope.'Maybe somethingwas done to her.'He fanned out the snaps again, stretching his arm and offering Ingalls thedisplay.'Huh?' said Ingalls, not moving.Then: 'No.' Calmly, no inflection.Milothought: Okay, it wasn't her, false lead, good for him, bad for us, they'daccomplished nothing, Schwinn was right.As usual.The pompous bastard, he'dbe gloating, the remainder of the shift would be unbearable- But Schwinncontinued to hold the pictures steady, and BowieIngalls continued to stare at them.'No,' Ingalls repeated.He made a grab for the pictures, not a seriousattempt, just a pathetic stab.Schwinn held firm, and Ingalls stepped awayfrom the horror, pressing his hands to the sides of his head.Stamping hisfoot hard enough to make thefloor quake.Suddenly, he grabbed his melon-belly, bent over as if seized byPage 38 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlcramps.Stamped again, howled, 'No!' Kept howling.Schwinn let him rant for a while, then eased him over to the clearing on thecouch, and told Milo, 'Get him somefortification.'Milo found an unopened Bud, popped the top, held it to Ingalls's lips, butIngalls shook his head.'No, no, no.Get that the fuck away from me.'The guy lives in a booze-haze but won't medicate himself when he sinks to thebottom.Milo supposed that passed for dignity.He and Schwinn stood there for what seemed to be an eternity.Schwinn serene -used to this.Enjoying it?Finally, Ingalls looked up.'Where?' he said.'Who?'Schwinn gave him the basic details, talking quietly.Ingalls moaned throughthe entire recitation.'Janie, Janie-''What can you tell us that would help us?' said Schwinn.'Nothing.What could I tell.?' Ingalls shuddered.Shivered.Crossed skinnyarms over his chest.'That - who would - oh, God.Janie.''Tell us something,' pressed Schwinn.'Anything.Help us.''What.I don't know.She didn't - since she was fourteen, she's basicallybeen gone, using this place as a crash pad but always gone, telling me to fuckoff, mind my own business.Half the time, she ain't here, see what I'msayin'?''Sleeping at friends' houses,' said Schwinn.'Melinda, other friends.''Whatever.oh God, I can't believe this.' Tears filled Ingalls's eyes, andSchwinn was there with a snow-white hankie.PS monogram in gold thread on acorner.The guy talked despair andpessimism, but offered his own starched linen to a drunk, for the sake of thejob.'Help me,' he whispered to Ingalls.'For Janie.''I would.I don't know - she.I.we didn't talk.Not since.she usedto be my kid, but then she didn't want to be my kid, telling me to fuck offall the time.I'm not saying I was any big deal as a daddy, but still, withoutme, Janie would've.she turned thirteen and all of a sudden she didn'tappreciate anything.Started going out all hours, the school didn't give ashit.Janie never went, no one from the school ever called me, not one time.''You call them?'Ingalls shook his head.'What's the point? Talking to people who don't give ashit.I'da called, they'da probably sent cops over and busted me forsomething, child neglect, whatever.I was busy, man.Working - I used to workat Paramount Studios.'Page 39 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html'Oh, yeah?' said Schwinn.'Yeah.Publicity department.Information transfer.''Janie interested in the movies?''Nah,' said Ingalls.'Anything I was into she wasn't into.''What was she into?''Nothing.Running around.''This friend, Melinda.If Janie never told you where she was going, how do youknow she was with Melinda Friday night?''Because I seen her with Melinda on Friday.''What time?''Around six.I was sleeping, and Janie busts in to get some clothes, I wakeup, by the time I'm sitting up, she's heading out the door, and I look outthere.' He jabbed a thumb at the shuttered windows.'I seen her walking awaywith Melinda.''Walking which way?''That way.' Hooking his finger north.Toward Sunset, maybe HollywoodBoulevard, if the girls had kept going.'Anyone else with them?''No, just the two of them.''Walking, not driving,' said Schwinn.'Janie didn't have no license.I got one car, and it barely drives.No way wasI gonna - she didn't care, anyway.Got around by hitching.I told her aboutthat - I used to hitch, back when youcould do it, but now, with all the - you think that's what happened? Shehitched and some.oh, God.'Unaware of Janie's downtown rape? If so, the guy was being truthful about onething: Janie had been lost to him for a long time.'Some what?' said Schwinn.'Some - you know,' moaned Ingalls.'Getting picked up - somestranger.'The death snaps were back in the envelope, but Schwinn had kept the envelopein full view.Now he waved it inches from Ingalls's face.'I'd say, sir, thatonly a stranger would do something like this.Unless you have some otheridea?''Me? No,' said Ingalls.'She was like her mother.Didn't talk -gimme thatbeer.'When the can was empty, Schwinn waved the envelope again.'Let's get back toPage 40 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlFriday.Janie came home to get clothes.What was she wearing?'Ingalls thought.'Jeans and a T-shirt - red T-shirt.and those crazy blackshoes with those heels - platform heels.She was carrying her party clothes.''Party clothes.''When I woke up and saw her going out the door, I could see part of what shehad in the bag
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