It was five AM when I dropped down out of the mountains and into LA. The sky was the palest of blues in the dawn as we passed the old WPA bridges that cross the LA river up and over the freeway. They were built a long time before the twisted web of concrete we call a freeway system scarred up Los Angeles. This town was like that, look at it from the proper angle and you were transported back to a time when Humphrey Bogart ruled the silver screen and instead of paying folks to stay at home and worry, they paid them to build wonderful stone bridges.
I carried Cass into my house. She stirred once when I laid her down in the bed, she reached out and touched my stubbled face and then went back to sleep. I unloaded the Crown Vic, and placed Marilyn on the kitchen table. Curling up on the couch I held my.45 to my chest. I still had phantom feelings of the highway moving under me. Sleep seemed many rumbling miles off. My brain was a jumble of fears and plans. What I should or shouldn’t do, who I should talk to, what wrong step might get us both killed. I blinked and an hour and a half had disappeared off the clock. I sat up, not much more rested but a little less blurry. I brewed a pot of coffee and sat on the back stoop drinking the rich black brew. My backyard was small and tangled, weeds had taken over the lawn and the orange tree was in bad need of pruning. The three roses had grown into wild bushes. The rent was cheap, my landlord was a widow who had moved to Oregon to be near her grandchildren, so I was left to do as I pleased. I hadn’t noticed how small and shabby the house was, but I’d never had a guest in it before. An hour later I checked on Cass. She was sleeping the sleep of the innocent. The hard edges from her face erased, she looked like the young girl she was. I left her a note and a loaded.45 and headed for the dog park.
Angel saw me as soon as I cleared the double gates. She let go her grip on Bruiser’s neck and galloped across the grass. Going to my knees I let her lick my face and nibble on my ears and nose.
“She missed her Daddy,” Helen said, offering a hand to help me up. She had a firm strong grip. “How was your trip?”
“Rough.”
“Looks like it. Getting any sleep?”
“Some. How’s the writing going?”
“We’re on hiatus, I should be working on a spec script, but life is short and I’m lazy.” While we talked, Bruiser came over and tried to get Angel to play, but she wouldn’t leave my side. She leaned into my leg, keeping contact. “Your girl can eat!”
“No, really? She’s always so demure at home,” I chuckled. We chatted about nothing important, new plans for the park, the city was tired of watching the trees it planted die from dog piss, everything but where I’d been. They were planning to build a lattice structure for shade and there was talk about replacing the struggling grass with ground up concrete. Five hundred dogs a day used the park, making it one of the rec. departments most used spots. Helen told me about her show, it dealt with vampires infiltrating the Mob, it had been picked up for a second season, so Bruiser wouldn’t starve this year. After the last few super charged days it was good just to chat. As I went to go Helen caught my arm, looking me square in the eyes.
“Are you ok, Moses?”
“I will be…”
“Kelly?”
“Among other things, yeah,” I said.
“If you need to talk, I work weird hours and don’t sleep much, so call me.” I wondered if she knew the truth about me, Kelly, the dead men, would she be so ready to be available? Maybe when it was all over I’d test her out, then again maybe she didn’t need this crap rattling around in her brain. Let Kelly remain pure in her memory, if no place else.
Picking Angel up I went back to my crib. She liked the Crown Vic, jumping from the front seat into the back and then up front again. To her it was a big rolling playpen. From the floor she watched my foot flexing on the accelerator, dropping onto her forepaws her eyebrows scrunched up and her butt wiggled as her body tensed. As I rounded a corner she leapt like a wild beast, all forty pounds of her landing on her prey, my foot, driving it to the floorboards. The Crown Vic gained velocity as it lurched forward toward the stalled traffic in front of me. Racking the wheel to the left I skidded across the path of oncoming cars and up a small alley. Picking Angel up by the scruff of her neck I sat her on the seat. After all I had survived it would be a real bitch if I died in a car wreck because of a puppy.
Cass was still sleeping when we returned with a bag of pan dulce. Angel curled up at my feet while I called Lowrie. “How are you, son, you doing ok?” he asked after telling me he had no news on Kelly’s case.
“Can I buy you a cup of coffee?” I said.
“I’m booked full up, narcotics pulled three detectives from our division, new mayor has the war on drugs on the brain. So we’re pulling doubles. I haven’t seen my wife in a week.”
“I need to see you.” There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. He finally let out a sigh.
“You know the Denny’s on Santa Monica?” he said.
“Yeah, off Cherokee?”
“Be there at eleven.” He hung up without even saying goodbye. Angel’s head popped up, I turned to see Cass standing in the doorway, wiping grains of sleep from her eyes. Angel jumped up and ran to Cass, leaping at her bare legs. It was the first time she had left my side since I had picked her up.
“Who’s your friend?” Cass asked, scratching Angel behind the ear.
“Angel, she was Kelly’s.”
“And you took her in? You’re not a big tough guy after all, are you?”
“No, I’m a big sissy, afraid of the dark, my turn-ons are puppy dogs and long walks on the beach, my turn-offs are cheeky girls who sleep in my bed without so much as a thank you.” I said with a grin.
“Thank you, Moses, you got anything to eat?” I poured the Mexican pastries onto a plate and got her a mug of coffee. She ate four of the crumbly treats in big bites. Angel danced around her feet, hoping to catch falling crumbs. A dark cloud drifted across Cass’s eyes. It was as if for a brief moment she had stepped out of her life, and now memories had sucked her back in.
“I have to go into Hollywood.”
“Can I come with you?” Fear shadowed her face.
“Not this time, baby girl. I’m meeting a cop who might see it as his duty to ask you questions neither of us wants to answer.”
“Come on, big boy, I can handle some cop.”
“No. You’re safe here. Just don’t…”
“Open the door for anyone, I know the drill.” Like a petulant teenager she sulked out of the room to go take a shower. Again she left the door open, and made sure the curtain parted enough so that I could get a good eye full of her as water splashed down over her firm young body. Maybe she hoped her nakedness would be enough to keep me from leaving. It almost was.
The Denny’s was a few blocks from the Hollywood police station. It looked like every Denny’s in the world, purple, orange and ugly. I slid into a bright naugahyde booth and ordered coffee, it was weak and bitter but I needed the caffeine. At eleven on the dot Lowrie walked through the door. His eyes were ringed with dark circles. “Son you look as tired as I feel,” he said as he sat down. He ordered a fried egg sandwich and a cup of coffee, decaf. “Doctors orders, no more coffee, no cigars, what is the world coming to, huh?”
“Do you know anybody in the FBI?” I asked.
“Paulson, he’s the liaison with our department, good man, bit too by the book like most of the feds. Why, you in trouble? “
“Yes, but not how you think. I need some answers and I don’t know where to turn.”
“This about Kelly? I told you to leave it alone.”
“Yeah, you also told me you’d stay on the case, but what do you have? Nothing right? Well nothing doesn’t cut it with me. So I did some digging.”
“Do you know why they gave me a gold shield and a gun? Because I’m a trained investigator. My job is to build a case so that when I take down the bad guys, they stay down. Now when you go running around tainting evidence, muddying the water it just makes my job that much harder. Not to mention, you up your own odds of winding up as an unsolved homicide. Another case I have to handle.”
“You want to hear what I found, or do you want to keep running your mouth?”
“Do you know the most common phrase said before a victim is killed? No? Well I’ll tell you. It’s ‘Go ahead and shoot me then.’ Or some variation on the theme. And you run through life like it’s your mantra. That said, what have you got?” The waitress delivered his sandwich but he didn’t touch it. I told him the whole story, leaving out the dead soldiers in the desert. I told him about Gino and my suspicion he was mobbed up. I knew the feds were looking for him and that he had dropped off the radar. When I told him about the web tapes, he pushed his plate away, his appetite ruined. “You destroyed the evidence? Damn it Moses what were you thinking? There’s no way to bust the prick now.”
“He won’t be peddling his crap on the web anymore, I saw to that. Plus I sent his wife a letter and one of the tapes. By the time I’m done he’ll dream about the fine and slap on the wrist the court would have given a straight squid like him.”
“If you don’t believe in the system, why the hell did you come to me? What do you want, absolution? You want me to say you did the right thing? You didn’t, you let this scum skate, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“I think the guys trying to kill Cass are mobbed up.”
“Bring her in, we’ll put her in protective custody.”
“You mean jail her? We both know the mob can reach in there with the snap of a finger. No thanks Lowrie. I’ll keep her safe, I just need to know the score.”
“Why should I help you?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do and you know it.”
“No, it’s not. But you’ll go ahead with or without my help… I’ll make you a deal, I’ll look into this Torelli matter, but you have to promise that if you find the mutts who dropped the girl you’ll let me take them down. I want your word.”
“I can’t promise how it will play out.”
“Then I can’t help you,” he said starting to rise.
“Wait, my word, if at all possible I’ll let you have these pukes. That’s the best I can do Lowrie.” I stretched out my hand, he looked at it for a moment then shook it.
“I’ll be in touch.” And he was gone. I paid the bill and headed for home. Lowrie was a good cop, better than most but he was out of touch with the streets. If I had waited for his system to work Cass would be dead and buried by now, and I’d be left with my thumb up my ass wondering if I could have stopped it. I would be true to my word, if I saw a way to have Kelly’s killers busted I would. I also knew I wouldn’t hesitate to drop a hammer on them if that’s what was called for.
Walking up to my crib I was afraid Cass would be holding a grudge for leaving her behind. Instead I found her smiling, curled up on the sofa with Angel’s head on her lap. She had cleaned up the house, it looked nice. She even cut a rose from the garden and put it in a water glass on the coffee table. She had draped one of my Mexican blankets over the sofa, two or three little touches and it almost looked like someone could live here.
“Hi dear, how was your day?” Rising up onto tiptoes, she gave me a peck on the cheek.
“Still going on. You want some lunch?” Her eyes sparkled at that.
“Always.” We went down to a small taco stand, she ate three carne asada soft tacos, a plate of rice and beans, and a diet coke. I told her about Lowrie and his offer of police protection.
“Are you trying to dump me? Did you make a deal with him?” Fear flickered down deep behind her eyes.
“No, just giving you your options.”
“I’m staying with you,” she said firmly taking my hand in hers. “I’ll be a good girl, I’ll do just what you say. I promise.” I was her lifeboat and the storm clouds were brewing all around us.
Walking up the block toward my house I spotted a dark sedan parked across the street, a G-man in a cheap dark suit and Raybans was leaning against the front fender.
I pulled Cass back around the corner before the fed could see us. “Go in the back, through the alley, ok, baby girl?” I said, she started to say something then caught herself and complied. I crossed the street and walked up to the G-man. His partner sat behind the wheel, reading a file. They both looked bored. “You looking for me, or do you just like my house?”
“McGuire?” he said in a clipped voice.
“That’s me.”
“What do you know about Gino Torelli?” He didn’t waste any time on formalities.
“Who?” I kept my expression neutral.
“You’re a two time loser McGuire, want to go for three strikes? Interfering with a federal investigation, resisting arrest, threatening a federal officer with an unlicensed firearm. Oh yes, I can make it stick, who do you think the court will believe? “
“Is that your best shot? I reached out to you, remember?”
“You may have fooled your LAPD buddy, but I know who you are. Now, what do you know about Gino Torelli?”
“Fuck you,” I said and started to turn away, he grabbed my arm and spun me back. Suddenly he had his Glock in hand, pointed at my gut.
“As long as you asked me so nicely.” I strained to look calm. A pat search would reveal the.38 in my boot and then I would be dry lube fucked. “Like I told Lowrie, the name Torelli came up in connection to a murdered friend. I don’t know anything about the man, except he has something to do with internet porn and that you boys are looking for him.”
“That’s it? Everything?” He slammed the barrel of the 9 mm into my gut and almost got a face full of my partially digested taco. “Don’t think about holding back on me.”
“Look, that’s it. You want more, you’re going to have to find another sucker.”
“Alright for now. Do yourself a favor and stay out of San Francisco. You pissed in my stream, and I will warn you once, but only once. Walk away. Don’t look back and forget you ever heard the name Gino Torelli.” I hung my head in what I hoped passed for defeat. He holstered his piece, climbed in the sedan and left me standing in the middle of the street.
My face felt cold as I tried to stuff down my feelings of rage and impotence, fact was the fed could drop me any time he wanted, put me in a cage and say goodbye to daylight. He was right, who the hell would take my word over his. I knew the score and so did he. In the straight world I was nothing but a two time loser with a penchant for violence. And he was a shining star of valor.
“Who was that?” Cass asked as I walked past her to the kitchen.
“A couple of government pricks on a fishing expedition.” I poured myself a tall glass of Scotch and sat down at the kitchen table. Angel curled up around my legs laying her head on my foot, and went to sleep.
“What’s the plan, Ace? Get drunk and hope it all goes away?” Cass said.
“You got a better plan? Me, I’m fresh out of ideas.”
“Then let them skate. Put me on a bus out of town, they will find me sooner or later but you won’t have to worry about it. You can just get drunk and forget you ever met my sister or me. Is that what you want?” I didn’t answer her, instead I took a long warm drink. The McCallans tasted like liquid smoke warming its way down to my soul. Standing with the bottle in hand I walked past Cass and her reproachful eyes. Falling into bed I took one pull off the bottle before sleep swept up over me and took me down under.
I’m back in Chino, out on the yard, but the place is completely empty of human life. The guard tower is manned by a guy in a black suit and dark glasses. He is following my every move with a scoped rifle. Men just like him stand on all the walls, none move. Except for the wind rustling their suits they could be statues. I try to move but a cage has formed around me, closing in getting tighter with every second. My breath is ragged as the bars push against my chest.
It was dark when I woke, Cass had taken the bottle from my hand while I slept and Angel was curled up on my chest. In the shower I let my mind unwind. Somehow I’d been looking at this thing from the wrong direction. Kelly’s killers had something to do with this Gino Torelli. The boys in the desert were mobbed up, I was sure of that. Two from Vegas and one, a James Grasso, his driver’s license told me, was from San Francisco with an address on Post Street. Had they whacked Kelly? If so, who sent them? I knew who would know.
It was ten o’clock when I pushed through the door of Figueroa’s. An older square headed muscle man stepped into my path as I moved for the back room. “Sorry, we’re closed.”
“It’s me, Eddy. Moses, remember?”
“I know who you are, and we’re closed.”
“I need to see the old man.”
“Make an appointment, he’s busy.”
“Eddie!” The metallic chirp of the Pope’s voice box called out.
“Don’t move,” Eddie the Mechanic said as he headed for the back. He was once one of the most feared enforcers in LA. Pushing sixty he still put a chill in my bones.
Don Gallico sat at his table, drinking an espresso while a mousy young nurse stood beside him drawing blood. “Moses, word is our Armenian problem is walking with a limp, I owe you one for that. The vig is stopped, the principal is all you owe us,” he said spreading his hands out with benevolence.
“I’ve come to ask for more than that, I need your help.” I said keeping my face neutral.
“You owe two large and I haven’t taken your spleen. I’d say we were even. What the fuck are you trying to do shish-kabob me? “ he squawked at the nurse. She didn’t bat an eyelash, she just kept pulling blood from his wrinkled arm.
“A girl I know was killed up in Silver Lake.”
“It happens, LA is going to the dogs.”
“She was hit, pro.” I shot the nurse a glance but her full attention was on her job. “Is it ok to speak around her?”
“Say what you want, she’s deaf as a tombstone. Now, what the fuck makes you think I know anything about some dead girl?”
“It came out of San Francisco. Gino Torelli is involved. It’s got mob stink all over it.” I looked in his eyes, not a flicker or a flinch.
“Mob stink? That’s nice, you got the manners of a wart hog. And you’re ignorant to boot. Read the papers, there hasn’t been any family business in the Bay Area since 1988 when Milano bought a Rico charge.”
“Who is Gino Torelli?” I said, and still saw no reaction.
“Other than he sounds Italian, I got no clue.” If he was lying he was good, but then again you don’t get to be his age in the game without being good.
“James Grasso?”
“Sorry, are they connected to the dead girl?”
“Yeah. Look sir, you know me, I don’t want to make trouble for anyone. Live and let live. I just need to know what I’m dealing with so I don’t step on any toes.”
“Take my advice kid, walk away. Shit you don’t need to know about, shit I don’t need to know about. Forget you ever met these girls and get back to earning the cabbage you owe me.”
“You’re right. Fuck it. Italian don’t make it mob. Thank you for the time.”
“You going to take a hike on the matter, let dead dogs lay?”
“Maybe…” I let out a long tired sigh.
“Do.” Even through the squawking box, the edge in his voice was clear.
“Alright, I will.”
“Good boy.” His face relaxed. “Now you want me to have Charley make you an espresso? You can tell me who’s winning at the track?”
“I’d love it, but I have to get to work or Manny will have my ass.” I walked out shooting Eddy a smirk and a wink, he shook his head scowling.
Two blocks away I found a phone booth and called home. Cass picked up on the third ring. “Get your things, grab my dog and get out of the house, now!”
“What? Moses what’s happening.”
“Do it. Wait for me at the panaderia.”
“The what?”
“Mexican bakery down on the corner. Now move.” Sweat was running down my back in a cold stream. I hung up the phone and jumped into the Crown Vic. I hadn’t told the Pope about Cass, but he told me to walk away from those “girls”. I should have known, if there was a hit in his town, they would need his approval. I skidded up onto Los Feliz almost smacking a mini van full of kids in dirty soccer uniforms. The mom flipped me off as I sped past them. I raced around the Griffith Park fountain and slid onto the freeway. Traffic was at a crawl. Half a mile up I could see the flashing lights of emergency vehicles. I pulled over onto the shoulder and punched it. I jumped off at Fletcher and took side streets into Highland Park. The whole wild ride took only twenty minutes, I just hoped that wasn’t too long.
Looking through the front window of the panaderia I could see the entire shop, Cass wasn’t there. A bell rang over the door when I entered, past a rack of bread and tortillas I found her sitting on the floor with the owner’s granddaughter, playing with Angel. Letting out a long sigh, I grabbed her suitcase.
“Let’s roll,” I said picking up Angel. Cass followed me without question. In the car I told her about my meeting with the Pope.
“You told him I was with you?”
“No, he put it together when I asked about Kelly. My place isn’t safe anymore.” I said flicking my eyes to the rearview to make sure I wasn’t being followed.
“Who ever is after me, now knows you’re involved.” She said.
“Or they will soon.”
“So, I guess you’re stuck with me now.” She was right, walking away was no longer an option, if it ever truly had been. Sooner or later they would find out I took out three of their soldiers, and they would want me to pay the freight. My only chance was to find them first.
“Where are we going?”she asked as we snaked onto the freeway.
“I have to hook up a place for you to stay.”
“Us. A place for us.”
“You have to trust me, baby girl, I have things I have to do that I can’t do if I’m worrying about keeping you alive. When it hits the fan I have to know you’re safe if I’m going to be any good to either of us.” She didn’t like it, but she knew all the cute pouts and coy eyes weren’t going to change my mind.
I parked behind Club Xtasy. “Is this where Kelly worked?”
“That’s the place.”
“Kind of shabby.”
“It’s alright.” I left Cass in the car and went inside. Piper was sitting in a booth with a man in a baseball cap and a tee-shirt that proclaimed he was a party animal. Piper’s face formed a broad grin when she saw me approach. “Hey buddy, wait your turn, I’m talking to the lady,” the guy said.
“I’m not your buddy, pal. I’m with the health department and this ‘Lady’ has tested positive.” The guy instantly took his arm off Piper. “Come with me miss,” I said. Piper stood up and stalked me into the back.
“You crazy bastard, he was good for sixty bucks, minimum.” Her eyes were sparking with mirth.
“I need you to slip out the back and take a friend of mine to your house.”
“Can’t do it sweet cheeks, this is my big night. And momma needs to make rent.”
“I’m jammed up Piper. I really need this.”
“And I look like a pushover, is that it?” she said, crossing her arms over her chest, pressing her breasts together creating a mountain of cleavage. It was a power move, half defiance, half seduction, designed to confuse the poor male brain into doing her will.
“I don’t have any options here,” I said honestly.
“You sleep in my bed but you won’t fuck me, you leave town and you don’t call. Now you want me to leave my money night to help a friend of yours. When did we get married?”
“Fuck it, you’re right. I’m out of line. I’m sorry I asked,” I said and started to turn away.
“Slow down, big guy. Have I ever refused you anything, have I?” Leaning up she gave me an almost sweet peck on the cheek. “There’s something about you, I don’t know what it is, but you got me. Now let’s go before I change my mind and have Turaj kick your ass out of here.” That image was enough to make me smirk. Grabbing her bag from the dressing room locker we went out the back door, then down the thin staircase and into the parking lot. Piper stopped cold at the foot of the stairs.
Across the parking lot she saw my car with a pair of clearly female legs hanging out of the window. Piper spun on me, her face hardening, “You want me to take in your strumpet, you got some balls Moses.”
“It ain’t like that Piper, she’s a friend, and she’s in trouble,” I said.
“A friend you’re fucking? Huh, Mo?”
“No baby doll, I ain’t fucking anyone. Getting fucked pretty hard.” I shot her a feeble wink. She stared hard at me for a long moment, then a smile crept onto her face and I knew I was home free.
“God damn you, Mo.” Hooking her arm into mine we strolled through the parked cars to the Crown Vic. Cass sat up, looking at Piper and her arm on me, it was subtle but I could see her eyes flicking back and forth.
“Piper, this is Cass, she needs looking after,” I said. Piper studied Cass’ face with growing shock.
“Kelly?” she whispered.
“Her sister,” I said.
“It’s like looking at a ghost.”
“I’m not a ghost. Ok?” Cass said climbing out. “This your girlfriend?” she looked Piper up and down. I was saved from answering by Angel jumping out of the car and bouncing up to Piper.
“No, no no no, Mo! I told you how I feel about dogs,” she said.
“Just one night, that’s all I’m asking,” I said, flashing some uneven teeth.
“Fine, whatever. But if it pees on my carpet I’m making it into slippers. That’s right little fur ball welcome to Cruella DeVil land.” Whoever said all women loved puppies had never met Piper. Getting Cass into Piper’s powder blue ‘65 Ford Falcon I sat Angel on her lap and told her to keep the pup out of trouble. As they drove away, Cass watched me through the window. Somewhere in her heart she believed every goodbye might turn out to be permanent.
When I got back to Highland Park the streets were quiet. I parked around the corner from my house, jumped the fence and entered through the back door. With my.45 in hand I moved through the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and then the living room. Content that I was alone I pushed my club chair into a corner. From this position I could cover the front door and the kitchen. I left the lights out, waiting with the Mossberg riot gun on my lap. Patience was never my long suit, I would rather rush forward then lay in wait. I could hear the treads on every car as they rolled past along the pavement. Around midnight the neighborhood dogs began to bark, first one then joined by many. I tensed, ready for the door to fly open. One of the dogs let out a painful yap. A slight odor of a skunk drifted through the window. Somewhere down the block a dog had been sprayed. I drifted off sometime after midnight.
In my dream, Cass and I are living in a house on a Mexican beach. She is dressed in a flowing kimono with gold braid dragons climbing up her breasts. She is feeding me slices of mango while we watch Angel playing in the surf. She kisses the back of my neck. Someone is knocking at our door. I hope they will go away.
I was awake in time to hear the second knock. The street light glowed through my shabby curtains, silhouetting a hulking man on my front porch. I hefted the shot gun to my shoulder and aimed at the door. I could hear the scratch of metal against wood. A quick crack and the door jamb gave way as the door popped open. Two shadowy men stood outlined against the streetlight. I held my breath. They moved into the dark room, pulling the door closed behind them. I racked a shell into the shot gun and watched their eyes pop.
“Sorry, wrong house,” a beefy man in a jogging suit said.
“Right house, wrong day.” I aimed at his gut. His buddy wore pressed jeans and an argyle sweater vest. “Kick your guns over here, before I get nervous and bad things start to happen.” They weighed their odds and came up short. They might have been able to drop me, but one of them was going to lose his life in the transaction. Slowly they dropped their pistols and kicked them over in my direction. Sweater boy kicked short so the chrome automatic lay on the hardwood between us. He was a leap away from it. Getting up I kicked the gun under my sofa.
“Now comes the real fun part,” I said, drifting the shotgun barrel from one to the other for emphasis, “the part where I ask you who sent you, and you play it tough, so I start blowing off parts of your body. And one of you plays it real tough so I kill him and the other of you looks down at his missing leg and ruined arm and decides it can still get worse so he talks.” If I was getting through to them it wasn’t clear from their black eyes. “Now we can skip all that messy bullshit, or I can go to work. Honestly I don’t give a fuck which way you want to play it.” I heard a rush of wind behind me, and felt the thud of a black jack hitting the base of my skull. The world went sideways. My knees buckled and I fell, I waited for the impact of the floor but I just kept falling into a big black hole.