S01E07 The Get-Up

Eric: Chicago, the far north side. December 3rd, 1975. You're listening to The Fix Up. You were right. Of course I was right. Who is this? It's Lou. I'm talking about Nast. Nasty who Publisher Nast. The one with Hefner's car. God damn it. ⁓ it gets better. He was meeting with Johnny. Johnny R? Johnny wanted him to publish his memoirs. His what? His biography. Tell all shit like Joe Velaci. A simple lie. A simple lie. That's what Johnny wanted to call the book. Things are falling into place. They are? Abe Goldman called. Told me he took hef for a spin in one of his new cigarette boats. Goldman? In Miami? He said hef. Left a satchel behind. With a manuscript in it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm I'm here. Say something already. If I want to have a conversation with myself, I'll go to the bathroom and shave. What else did Goldman say? Not much. Most of the paper was ruined. Ruined? Water damage. But there were some pages about Johnny. Cuba. Shit. I'll pick it up for you. Next time I fly down. You've been down there? Twice. Don't worry, the cops ain't got a clue. I told you not to go down there. This was for something else. My own time, my own dime. The cops ain't found anything. If it was up their ass, maybe. As the feds, I'm worried. I know the Senate hearing. My guy in DC said they got into the whole Cuba thing. What about Tampa? No one's put it together. What does Sydney say? Sydney says go. Take the fifth. They're not gonna like that. Tough tits! I got enough dirt on half those senators. Don't get angry with me, Sam. Are you gonna take care of this pain in the ass publisher? Today. I told you. Did I not tell you? It's under control. Come by tonight after you're done. I'm cooking sausage and peppers. Ha! Like the time at Pancha train. Remember how? He couldn't get enough. He couldn't believe anyone outside of New Orleans cooked like that. I guess you showed him. Stop by. Got a friend of ours coming from out of town. He may have some work for you. Deja vu all over again. How did Burton put it? Not a recollection, but a hint of what's to come. Talked to Rose the other day. What a nightmare. Now she's gone, with the car, and everything inside it. And then there's J.R. He dropped that bombshell about the wire. I can't have those feds on my ass. They don't even play fair anymore. Bicentennial isn't even here yet, and I'm living in nineteen eighty four. I gotta give JR credit, though. He was going to bat for me after all. Maybe my story will be published yet. I don't know if J.R. will reap any benefits, as Marcello put it so well. Three can keep a secret. Meanwhile. We have been patient, J. Robert Nasty. It is time. No, no, no, no, not a figure! Yeah That was no fun. He fell over. And now we have no idea where Lou, just Lou, and John Roselli have hidden your auto. What the natives refer to quocally as the wheel. It's not my fault, Fred. It is not my fault. Of course it is your fault. You insisted on force. Hurry! Reinstall the recorder. Quickly friend, the kitchen. Out the back. Just a moment. The microphone. He's coming! JR, what the hell are you doing lying on the floor? ⁓ where am I Three sheets to the wind by the look of it. What what's going on? You're on the floor. Get up. Jesus Christ, how did I Your door was unlocked. I let myself in. I... I someone do this to you? You don't normally leave your door unlocked. I I don't know. I I must have gotten to thinking about things and nerves. I'm not a feiner, Lou. Don't worry about it. Just keep your head and keep playing it straight in case there's another wire. When we're done, follow me and we'll camp out in my car down the street and watch for visitors. I I I think I whew You sure you're up for this? I I haven't been eaten, to be honest. I I must have gotten lightheaded. Here's some water. Thank you. So what do we call in this chapter? First things first. Where's this week's payment? It's over there on the table. Very good. All right. Let's call this chapter the get up. The getup. Alright, go ahead. Let's see, we left off with me under the streets of St. Louis in a tunnel, used by Schnickelfritz Brewery. Earl was dead. A crazy broad with a knife had fled the scene. She said something she said something was under her skin. What was that all about? Like something had burrowed into her. Ticks or parasites. Something driving her crazy. Did you look for her? Look for. Do I look like I have a big S on my chest? With the cape and all? Yeah. Shed some pounds and sport the tight Leotard, Lou. You might look like a superhero. What I looked for was a way back. But the woman with the knife. Have you ever fought a crazy person? When their adrenaline is pumping, anything can happen. Okay, okay. So you found your way back. I hate to admit it, but I had not paid close attention on my way in. I remember being down there and thinking about Poe's cask of Amontillado. Why? Were you thirsty? Apparently you're not an Edgar Union. Alan Poe fan. Quoth the Raven, never ever. Yeah, Poe can be a bit dry. There is one line of his, though. It's stuck with me over the years. Yeah, what's that? Who has not a hundred times found himself committing a vile act for no other reason than because he knows that he should not? ⁓ that's the legend of Sleepy Hollow. Well, at least you didn't shout out Shakespeare. You said it was Poe. It's from the Black Cat. I can't believe you work for the outfit. You should teach English, really. I don't work for anyone. And there are many kinds of education. Well, I'll tell you, I prefer dunce caps to concrete shoes. You wouldn't have to wear either if you just did as you were told. Who has not committed a vile act even when told he should not loop? Okay? Come on. The story. Let's go. Alright, alright. I heard the strains of a radio serial. Something vile and silly. The kind of thing you'd like. How do you know? How do I know what? That it was a radio serial. It was a tinny organ playing, and the narrator's voice boomed in a manner typical of those shows. Okay, so you were lost. I was exploring. Then I saw the silhouette emerge from the shadows. Seein' you here. So. Observed. ⁓ It's not what I want from you. It's what you need. They say listening is not understanding the word spoken, it's understanding why the words were spoken in the first place. At our first meeting, I gave you some advice. In this our second teta tet, I'm offering you a warning. Pray we do not meet a ⁓ third time. Go ahead. Back. Way you missed it, mister Earwax for brains. That little voice. You ignored it again. He was right. The storm sewer. I'm sensing a recurring theme here. It was off the main tunnel. Steel rungs led up the wall. I peered out over the gutter and saw the same thing I saw at Earl's house. The black Connie with its passengers. A funeral? What's going on? What was going on, Lou? You got a couple of storm drains, fever dreams. There was no fever. I was lucid. Those things I saw were real. Okay. Let me get this straight. You got this man who spoke in riddles, and a knife wielding chick? Whose two old sisters wanted her back at the count room so they could finish their scene from Macbeth. I never read Macbeth. It's by Shakespeare. Was there any relation between Miss Buckknife forty-seven and this man? Who is this man? All I know is that he was wearing some kind of getup, with a shark skin suit and the penciled on mustache. Man of a thousand faces, huh? A thousand faces and a thousand one tails. So you left you left poor old Earl in the sewer. Well it's not like I was gonna buddy carry him home. He stole that money from the all-around. It's a simple question. You make me sound heartless. What about Miss Buckknife? As I said, I had no inclination to go find her. And you went back to your room. Not my room. Earl's. I'd like a double cheeseburger with onion rings and a shake. Room service? That way I could charge it to Earl's account. Jesus, Lou. I needed to refuel. Did you? Yeah, but the food made me sleepy. Well at least you're a member of the Clean Play Club. When I woke I made another call. I'm gonna go out on a limb here. You order breakfast. Front desk. I'd like to place a local call. Is Staz residence. This is loose speaking. Alright, you pusilanimous pugilist. Are you listening? Sam and Johnny want you to play ball. Who is this? Play ball, or you'll end up like Earl Schultz. Earl Schultz? What the devil do you mean? Check the tunnels under the post office near Union Station. He's wearing a nice new smile. Ear to ear. Hear me? A smile. Ear to ear. I am listening. Are you? They say listening ain't understanding the word said. It's understanding why they were said in the first place. Don't you lecture me, you two bit thing. I'd make mincemeat of you inside the ring. That he hung up. Fuselanimous pugilist. Tell me you didn't say that. The broader the vocabulary, the broader the mind. Okay, Professor. What happened next? Without the purple pros, please. I headed back to the midway and bought a ticket back to Chicago. As it turned out the train was late, so I decided to grab a candy bar. An issue of strange stories. I remember Strange. ⁓ It was famous for its long pieces. Like ⁓ the story which goes on and on. You're acting surly. Want me to spell surly for you? The issue featured a Frederick Brown story, What Mad Universe. The story's protagonist was an editor of pulp magazines, not your typical space opera. Was it his imagination or was the night drifting through the doorway? A palpable, gaseous blackness. Whatever was out there. The train to Chicago is now alive. Once I boarded the bluebird. Can you point me to the dining car? Another meal. Lou. Lou? I thought you were staying. I thought you left yesterday. ⁓ I had a change of plans. Did you hear about the accident? Accident? My mother called. There was an explosion at Earl's house. A gas leak. Now no one knows where he is. ⁓ Isn't he still in Saint Louis? He was supposed to meet me to see the new Robert Mitchin movie, but he never showed. Then Uncle Lou told my mom he had a strange call from Earl. Something about being followed. Followed? Mom thinks Earl is in trouble and it's because of Lou. Huh. Why would she think that? She says Uncle Lou mixes with the wrong kind of people. People who do anything for money. Why are there people like that? Why is there so much greed in this one? And this year's Academy Award goes to young Lou. Well, I had to say something. Then I looked into her eyes. Explain how a person looks soulfully into the eye of a woman wearing an eye patch. Hey, smart ass, you keep making cracks about how long this takes. Where was I? Her eye s I never noticed how dark they are. I have my mother's eyes. Shouldn't you give them back? it's okay for you to make eye jokes. She tried to stop laughing and blew a bubble of snot from her nose. Romantically speaking, I had the tactical advantage. You're funnier when you're I mean, when you're not trying to be. Ouch. ⁓ I deserved it. Anyway, I felt this flutter in my stomach. Lou, for Christ's sake, come on. What? It's like you're begging me to crack another joke about food. Anyway, that's Uncle Lou for you. Lou Istaz was her uncle? And Earl is your cousin? He's a little slow. I pretended to agree. Lost in those big eyes? Or were you just dreaming of cheeseburgers? I'm gonna turn your face into ground chuck if you don't cut the malarkey. Wist is your mother's brother? Yeah, mom refused to come out here. Because of your uncle. Now I have to go home. Because of your cousin. ⁓ brother. Moro leaned in and touched my arm. Then I had this thought. The dessert menu. Why did you really come to St. Louis? As far as the interrogation was concerned, she gave Sam G the run for the money. I told her. Delivering stuff. For Bobby Testa, sorta like a courier. That doesn't sound very exciting. I hope you got to do a little sightseeing at least. Sightseeing. Shut up. The midway stained glass. So lovely. It reminds me of the mandalas my father photographed in Tibet. Have you traveled much? ⁓ Not since the war. You've been to Europe? The Pacific. I told her about the Solomons in Okinawa. Stuff I never told anyone. My team of UDTs. UDTs? Underwater demo team. We shipped with the others before the invasion. D-Day? Not the one you're thinking. Okinawa. Near Japan. I'd love to see Japan. Okay, I'm just lna let that one lay right there. Thank you for not interrupting. My team cleared the reefs so the landing forces wouldn't tear the hulls of their Higgins boats. I'm sorry, what's a Higgins boat? What is a Higgins boat? Amphibious craft. The ones that look like washtubs. They ferry platoons to the beachhead. Coral in the mouth of the Hija. After UDT sixteen finished. You had numbers for names? Our teams had numbers. After we cleared the objective. What do you mean by Clear. Blew it up. What about the fish? We told them to swim away before things got too hot. ⁓ Lou, those poor creatures. I think about them every time I order the fish fry at rollers. Nice, Lou. You really know how to turn on the charm. Yeah, Mora didn't approve. But she did listen. Politely. I wouldn't say that. I said politely. Okay, okay, I get the hint. I've been patient. Even kind. Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I I stand corrected, man, I'm sorry. From there we went to Naha, then Shuri, then even further south. What did you do during that time? Surf fishing, volleyball, clam bakes. We invited the locals. Cyper, down, keep down. Sniper was squirled up in an escarpment, overlooking the beach. There he is. Gimme those. Seven o'clock at the cliff break. I see him. What are you doing? Sending him a Dear John letter. What does it look like? Sayanara, sniper sand. Lo! If he sees... Can't see Jack now. So so you made it out okay? I did, but but what? What, Lou? Hey. Hey! Hey is for horses. It's Lynch! What is it? The sniper got him. We had been so busy laying primacord and dodging fire. It was all asses and elbows. No one saw Lynch take the hit. Mabuni was worse. What happened in Mabuni? We were on Recon at the base of some hills. There was cover under the ⁓ evergreens. We watched families climbing the cliff face. Then they flung themselves. Japanese had convinced the locals that the US troops would rape their wives and daughters. The kids were screaming. Jesus Christ. I was relieved when it had stopped. Then I realized it was because a mother had jumped from the cliff, belly flopped on the ground with her kid clasped to her chest. The two lay there like ragdolls. That was how it ended for the poor, that is. The ones with money had poison. They poisoned their children? All the bodies piled at the base of a cliff. Steam rose from that gory mud. It looked like souls loosed from their fleshy vessels after breathing. Bustin' open. Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick. You're too sensitive, JR. I am sensitive to purple pros. So you told all of that to Mora? Nah I gave her the G-rated version. All that talk about death got Mora to talking philosophically. She started gabbing about the troubadours again? The Buddhists. I told you my father traveled to Tibet. Mentioned the Mandalus. It all seems so alluring. But to become a Buddhist, I don't know how my parents would react. You want to become a Buddhist? Mora went on to describe the four truths. Dukkha, Samudaya, Nerota, Maga. Suffering, craving, the end of suffering, and the means to end it. ⁓ Duke Dukkha. Suffering. Cleaming to impermanent states. Craving. We expect happiness from things that don't last. Did Mora have any cravings? How do you mean? Did she crave a little woo from Whittle Woo? JR? I'm just saying. I'm just saying shut up. What I'm saying is that suffering ceases when craving ceases. Or at least when it's confined. When it's confined? So maybe Mora. put out. Just stop. When karma stops, rebirth stops. Rebirth? That must have meant she had reproduction on her mind. That's enough. No more snide remarks. Okay. Please let go. Okay, but no more warnings. Jeez, Lou. What, I mess up your shirt? My shirt? My neck! So I tore your shirt a little. What the hell is that? A wire. I knew it. No, Lou, listen, it's not Gimme that. Ow! You're you're You're a dead man. No! Alright, let's not be dramatic. Don't be a jerk off. I barely touched you. Git up Git up JR JR