Bather to my own surprise, I was virtuous enough to slap lunch. I just headed straight for the Valley; the sooner I served the warrant, the sooner I could - I hoped - start finding answers.

Thanks to a stupid publicity stunt, I got stuck in traffic in Hollywood. If you ask me, stunts by the side of the freeway ought to be illegal; it goes slow enough without them. But no. One of the light and magic companies was releasing a spectacular called St. George and the Dragon, so nothing would do but to have one of their tame dragons roast a sword-swinging stunt man right where everybody could stop and stare and ooh and ahh. People who actually had to go someplace - me, for instance - got stuck right along with the rubbernecking fools.

Behind the stunt man in his flame-retardant chain mail stood a blonde who wasn't wearing enough to retard flames.

The dragon was well trained; he didn't breathe fire anywhere near her. Even so, I wondered what she was doing there. She wasn't the sort of maiden I pictured Sfc George rescuing. If they'd been making Perseus and Andromeda, maybe - but St George?

Well, that's Hollywood for you.

I made good time after I finally put dragon, stunt man, and bimbo behind me. I parked in the lot across from the Devonshire dump I'd used the day before. This time the security guard was on the phone before I got across the street He came out of his cage, started wheeling back the gate. "Mr. Sudakis is expecting you, sir," he said.

"Thanks." I crossed the wooden footbridge, went into the dump site. Sure enough, Tony Sudakis was already on his way out to greet me. I still wasn't sure whose side he was on, but he brought a lot of energy to whichever one it was.

"How may I be of assistance to you today, Inspector Fisher?" he asked in a loud, formal voice that said he knew what was coming.

I produced the parchment and did my best to speak in ringing tones myself: "Mr. Sudakis, I have in my possession and hereby serve you with this warrant of search issued by Judge Ruhollah authorizing me to examine certain records of your business."