23 JUNE 1940

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA

The drive into town was, thankfully, boring. If someone was going to tail Elliot Ness they would have had three days to get ready but, that also gave him three days to detect it. He had not seen the first sign of anyone watching him since he arrived in California and, besides, he was not important enough for anyone to follow. The man he picked up at the little dirt airstrip, out in the middle of all the orange groves, was another matter. Doctor Trevor Grant was the kind of guy that you kept tabs on if you were a foreign intelligence service. Any guy smart enough to invent things that might one day blow up entire countries usually rated that kind of notice. That meant they also rated serious protection which is how Ness got involved.

Ness paid Grant very little attention as they drove. The scientist was busy with his leather briefcase and the papers inside it. He was constantly reading, switching papers, and mouthing words but, never saying them. He barely noticed that Ness was in the car. Then he heard Ness whistle and that did cause him to look up. Grant quickly figured out what had rated the G-Man’s appreciation and said, “first time coming here?”

“Let me put it this way Doc,” Ness replied. “Since they drafted me into this, I haven’t had the luxury of dealing with anybody that was really worth knowing.” He then looked over to the Doctor and gave him a quick smile, “till now I mean. You live here?”

“No,” Grant was still trying to figure out what to make of that last statement. “I only wish I could afford to live in a place like this Mister Ness. The truth be told, I’ve spent the last few years living at an army airfield up in the Northwest, trying to build a research center there.”

“Oh,” Ness replied. Now it was he that didn’t know what to make of things. Somehow this guy, Grant, with his expensive clothing, his golden cigarette case, his slick moves, and his fancy accent did not strike Ness as the kind of guy that would jump out of an army cot every morning to grab his socks. “So how’d that work out for you?”

“Not very well I’m afraid,” Grant replied as he went back to his papers. “The funding didn’t exactly work out. With the war in Europe effectively over we started getting the polite brush off from the War Department. When they started this project it looked as if we were done for good.”

That was not exactly what Ness was talking about. He had to wonder if this Grant guy could ever figure that out though. His head was perpetually in the clouds and, it was quite apparent, he worried about monumental things like Ness did when he was deciding which box of breakfast cereal to buy. “Sorry to hear that Doc. So who’s place are we crashing today?”

That alarmed Grant and he looked up at the G-Man, “you don’t know?”

“Relax,” Ness told him, “I have the address but, for your information, no I haven’t been there yet.”

“Oh,” Grant obviously wrote the matter off and went back to his papers. He did mumble as he was reading “just so you won’t be too surprised Agent Ness, the home in question belongs to Howard Hughes.”

Ness chuckled at that, “no shit. Is he working with you guys too?”

It took a second for Grant to realize what Ness had asked. Then he shook off the surprise and quietly responded, “good lord no, of course not.” Before Ness could follow up on that thought, Grant pointed towards a couple of big gates that were coming up on the left. The wall they breached was covered with vines. High trees sat behind the wall and you could not even see the roof to a house from the road. It was quite secluded despite the fact that it was sitting in a fairly populated area. There was a man loitering around just outside the gate and his open coat did little to hide the gun in his shoulder holster. Grant pointed it out and said, “that’s our destination.”

As Ness turned into the drive, he noted, “not exactly subtle.”

“It doesn’t have to be Mister Ness,” Grant replied. “It’s one of the reasons why we borrowed this home. No one would question the extra security.”

After the guard at the gate checked them in, the gates opened without the aide of human hand. Ness drove in and only then did he see the other two guards who were stationed in the woods on either side. They both held weapons that Ness was intimately familiar with, Tommy Guns. He couldn’t help but think how they would have fit right in, back in the day, in Chicago. It also told him a great deal about how the government secured access to this home. The simple fact was that J. Edgar Hoover could be quite persuasive when he asked for something. That seemed to even be true with a man as powerful as Howard Hughes.

The way the property was laid out made it impossible to see the entire house at any one time. The driveway only offered a glimpse of what was definitely a Spanish styled hacienda and they drove right through a portal in the wall to reach a more centralized courtyard. Ness did find himself impressed by the décor and such but, he was scrutinizing the property for a much different reason. The segmented nature of the home and property translated into one thing, an eye to eye fire fight. Those were usually quite lethal for anyone involved.

The central court was well sheltered and partially open giving a view of the immediate grounds. Ness noted a couple of guys on the roof of the home that probably had a more sweeping view than down where he was. There were several cars parked here already. Ness could easily spot the ones that belonged to the government. They always bought them in huge lots, could only spend just over six hundred on each, and as a result it made them stand out like sore thumbs. In this particular setting they were the norm and the blue convertible was what stood out. There was a man with a barrel chest and rather attractive young lady standing next to that car. It made it worth noting.

As Ness approached he did not have to wait for introductions and, in fact, he did not get any. Grant quickly out paced him and approached the woman. He virtually ignored her goon and took her hand for a kiss. As smooth as a Hollywood star he said to her, “it is ever so nice to see you again Miss Bitrerlich. Always the pleasure.”

The woman smiled, dipped, and did every thing one would expect a perfect woman to do. She replied with such a sweet and innocent tone but, her words did not match, “why Doctor Grant. If you don’t keep it zipped in your pants I might feel compelled to feed them to you.”

If Grant were offended he did not show it. He simply smiled, gestured towards the house, and replied, “as charming as ever. Shall we go inside now?” She agreed and that left Ness rubbing his chin as he lit a smoke and watched them walk away. Grant did call back just before going in the door, “if you gentleman require anything just ask the house keeper.” He almost walked in but, he did turn for one parting thought, “she’s deaf. You’ll have to write it down.”

After he was gone Ness tossed his used match to the ground, inhaled deep, and then mumbled as the smoke left his lips, “not that I’d ever figure out how to find her in this place.” It did not concern him much anyway. He had a flask in his inner coat pocket and, if he got bored, it would be plenty enough for him. He walked over to the guy with the big chest and put out his hand, “looks like we’re going to be here awhile. Elliot Ness.”

The man seemed amused by who he was shaking hands with. He replied to the agent, “Colonel Puller, USMC. Friends just call me Chesty.”

Now it was Ness’ turn to chuckle. “Can’t imagine why. So, Chesty, what’s the story on the skirt?”

The man crossed his arms and he was no longer amused, “the skirt, as you put it, is one tough dame, Mister Ness. I wouldn’t suggest calling her that to her face.”

Ness only chuckled some more. He also nodded and tipped his hat to the Marine, “sounds like good advice Chesty. I’ll remember that.”