human
Great Universal,
gpt
Hey, that's a nice place, the cabbie said heartily, as they started off.
human
I heard there was a couple TV stars there last week and they got drunk and had a fight. You see that?
gpt
Just arrived this afternoon, Malone said.
human
Sorry.
gpt
Oh, don't worry, the cabbie assured him.
human
Something's always going on at the Universal. I hear they posted a lot of guards there, just waiting for something to come up now. Something about some shooting, but I didn't get the straight story yet. That true?
gpt
Far as I know, Malone said.
human
There's a lot of strange things happening lately, aren't there?
gpt
Lots, the cabbie said eagerly. He meandered slowly around a couple of bright-red convertibles.
human
A guy owned the _Last Stand_, he killed himself with a gun today. It's in the papers. Listen, Mister, funny things happen all the time around here. I remember last week there was a lady in my cab, nice old bat, looked like she wouldn't take off an earring in public, not among strangers. You know the type. Well, sir, she asked me to take her on to the Golden Palace, and that's a fair ride. So on the way down, she--
gpt
I hear there's a roadblock up now, and they're searching all the cars. Know anything about that?
human
Sure, Mister, he said.
gpt
Now, it's funny you should ask. I hit the block once today and I was saying to myself, I'll bet somebody's going to ask me about this. So when I was in town I talked around with Si Deeds ... you know Si? Oh, no, you just arrived today ... anyhow, I figured Si would know.
human
And did he?
gpt
Not a thing, the cabbie said. Malone sighed disgustedly and the cabbie went on:
human
So I went over and talked to Bob Grindell. I figured, there was action, Bob would know. And guess what?
gpt
He didn't know either,
human
Bob? the cabbie said.
gpt
Say, Mister, you must be new here for sure, if you say Bob wouldn't know what was going on. Why, Bob knows more about this town than guys lived in it twice as long, I'll tell you. Believe me, he knows.
human
And what did he say?
gpt
About what?
human
About the roadblock,
gpt
Oh, the cabbie said.
human
That. Well, that was a funny thing and no mistake. There was this fight, see? And Shellenberger got in the middle of it, see? So when he was dead they had to set up this roadblock.
gpt
What fight? he said.
human
And who's Shellenberger? And how did he get in the way?
gpt
Mister, the cabbie said,
human
A remarkable guess,
gpt
Sure must be, he said.
human
Gus Shellenberger's lived here over ten years now. I drove him around many's the time. Remember when he used to go out to this motel out on the outskirts there; there was this doll he was interested in but it never came to much. He said she wasn't right for his career, you know how guys like that are, they got to be careful all the time. Never hit the papers or anything--I mean with the doll and all--but people get to know things. You know. So with this doll--
gpt
How long ago did all this happen?
human
The doll? the cabbie said.
gpt
Oh, five-six years. Maybe seven. I remember it was the year I got a new cab, business was pretty good, you know. Seven, I guess. Garage made me a price, you know, I had to be an idiot to turn it down? A nice price. Well, George Lamel who owns the place, he's an old friend, you know? I did him some favors so he gives me a nice price. Well, this new cab--
human
Can we get back to the present for a little while? Malone said.
gpt
There was this fight, and your friend Gus Shellenberger got involved in it somehow--
human
Oh, that, the cabbie said.
gpt
Oh, sure. Well, there was a kind of chase. Some sheriff's officers were looking for an escaped convict, and they were chasing him and doing some shooting. And Shellenberger, he got in the way and got shot accidentally. The criminal, he got away. But it's kind of a mess, because--