California Girl

9

ANDY READ THE VONN ARREST reports early Monday morning. He sat in the Sheriff’s Department pressroom with Sunday’s Contact Log and a paper cup of coffee on the table in front of him. The Los Angeles Times and Santa Ana Register and the Orange County Journal police reporters would be in by eight, so Andy beat them by an hour every day. Scooped them once in a while, too. Almost impossible for a weekly. Like anybody knew it. Like anybody read the weekly Tustin Times.

He would have appreciated a call from Nick on this one, even though the Tustin Times had a policy against incest stories. Unless teetotaling J. J. Overholt broke his own rule. He had similar policies against rape stories, suicide stories-unless it was a public figure-and sex crime stories. Against almost anything negative relating to churches or ministers. The press club wags said that the Tustin Times was allergic to anything alcoholic or interesting.

Andy flipped through the log. The usual public disturbances, suspected prowlers, domestic quarrels, bar fights, false alarms. And drunken driving. Overholt’s bread and butter, he thought. Suspected drunken drivers were identified in the Tustin Times Law Enforcement Logbook by full name, age, and city of residence in boldface Helvetica twelve-point type. The press club line on that was, death to drunken drivers unless the driver was one of Overholt’s friends, but Overholt didn’t have any friends.

Andy poked away on his Royal portable. Got four little stories they might use, mainly to fill space around last-minute ads. Made notes on the Vo

Later that day, after doing his interviewing, Andy tried to write the Vo

From David he had gotten Janelle’s black eye and intoxicated appearance at the Grove Drive-In Church of God. Barbara told him that Janelle had been barefoot in the chill morning and that the church had had sixty-two worshipers that day, best ever.

From Nick he’d gotten some chase details and the crescent wrench and where the little white pills were found. He included the fact that vice investigator Nick Becker was all-county for Tustin High, 1955-56. Nick told him to be careful with the sex stuff. It was Janelle’s word against her brothers’. There was no way the crime lab could perform tests for forced oral cop done months ago, which is what Janelle was alleging. When she wasn’t looking at ceilings and having marijuana-induced visions.

The Vo

He had talked to Janelle briefly by phone. She said the whole thing was just a scary mess, what had Andy heard from Clay over in the jungle? He told her what he knew-next to nothing-and thanked her. He couldn’t use her name in the piece. Could not state that the victim of the sex allegations was the Vo

Sharon in the DA’s office had told him they’d review the arrests by late afternoon and file, or not, tomorrow. She asked Andy to say hi to his cute detective brother.

Andy had talked to Karl Vo

But Andy couldn’t get more than two paragraphs. It was too big and too raw. No focus. No hook.

He ripped it out of the typewriter, mashed the paper and carbons into a ball, and bounced it off the wall into his wastebasket.

PRESS CLUB OFFICERS and invited members met Thursdays for di

“So Andy, when you going to leave that crummy little paper?” asked Phil Liades. He was an editorial writer for the Journal. To Andy an old fart-forty, maybe even forty-five. He’d come out strong for Nixon in sixty and was already gearing up against Ke

“When you leave your crummy big one,” said Andy. “Maybe I’ll take your place. But then I’d have to write all that glowing crap about Dick Nixon and Roger Stoltz.”

“Pays the bills,” said Phil.

“So can blow jobs,” said Andy.

Phil laughed and Andy nudged him with an elbow. At twenty-one Andy was the youngster. Dropped out of Fullerton after two years but a full general-assignment reporter already. Even if it was just the Tustin Times. Andy liked popping off and making waves and seeing what he could get away with. He thought of Janelle Vo

“What are you guys laughing about?” asked Teresa Dessinger, squeezing up to the bar beside Andy. She didn’t take a stool.

“Jobs,” said Andy. “Phil wants me to take his. I told him I could write crap for a living but not right-wing crap.”

“Lies from the drunk-driving monitor,” said Phil.

“But the Journal is changing,” said Teresa brightly.

The Dessingers had founded and still published the Orange County Journal. Teresa was a great-granddaughter of the founding couple and daughter of the current publisher. She was tall, auburn-haired, peach-ski

“When you get to be publisher it’ll be perfect,” Andy said. “Until then, you guys should cover the crooks on the board of supervisors and leave Jack Ke

Teresa Dessinger looked down at Andy. “I agree.”

“To the new Journal,” said Phil Liades, raising his glass.

Andy touched his drink to Teresa’s and nodded.

“Would you sit with me at di

“Don’t give my job away,” said Phil.

“Already told you I don’t want it,” said Andy. “Another drink, Teresa?”

THEN BACK to the bar after di

By eleven it was Andy, Teresa, and two Los Angeles Times reporters in a booth arguing whether a newspaper should print what people want to read or what they need to read. Whether Nixon shaved twice or three times a day. Whether Castro had been morally right for publicly executing half a thousand Batista thugs or was just another Latin American cutthroat. Whether to put fluoride into California ’s drinking water and, if so, what next?

Andy gave as good as he got, maybe better. As Andy saw it, he had an advantage: he wasn’t really a newspaperman. Wasn’t going to be doing this very long. The last thing on earth he wanted was to end up old and drunk and bitter like half the reporters he saw. Sad. Humiliating.