Johnny Stompanatto was sitting at his usual table at the Formosa, drinking straight whiskey when the two detectives approached him. He barely looked up in time before one spoke.
"Hello Johnny" said a familiar female voice "Staying out of trouble these days?"
"Lieutenant Henley" he said, semi-sarcastic "How's tricks baby? I haven't seen you in ages"
Garnet looked at Exley, who looked at her in return before she kicked Stompanatto's chair back.
"I'm not your baby, Stompanatto" she said, putting her boot heel against his heaving chest "Rumor has it that you are working with Siorgiovanni's racket now."
"I ain't in the snitch business no more" Stompanatto replied, his face flushed "You won't get anything outta me"
"Hello again, Johnny" Exley said, leaning into Stompanatto's face "Do you remember me?"
"Yeah I remember you" was Stompanatto's reply "You're the Nite Owl cop"
"That's right, Johnny" Exley said, looking down at Stompanatto in disdain "So start talking or I'll have you arrested and convicted on drug charges"
"You ain't got nothing on me" Stompanatto exclaimed, struggling to sit up. Garnet kept her foot down, making him jerk in a way that something fell out of his jacket pocket.
Exley bent down and picked up a package of cocaine.
"Well Johnny?" Exley said, brandishing the package in front of Stompanatto's face "Do you want to avoid a jail sentence for felony possession of narcotics, or do you want to hit it head on?"
"Alright, alright" Stompanatto relented, defeated "I'm working in Siorgiovanni's racket…so what?"
"Well, there is a mysterious person knocking off each member of Siorgiovanni's racket" Garnet said, taking her foot off of Stompanatto's chest "Do you know anything about it?"
"All I know is that the guys are scared shitless" Stompanatto replied, sitting up slowly "Nobody knows who this person is…It's like this person is a ghost or something…he appears out of nowhere and makes his attack…nobody is safe, nobody"
Exley and Garnet exchanged glances as Stompanatto stood up and picked up the chair he was sitting on.
"One more thing Johnny" Garnet said, cocking her head thoughtfully "Are you associated with the last victim? He was beaten within an inch of his life."
"Yeah" Stompanatto replied, taking a sip of his whiskey to calm his nerves "Cuglietta says he got a glimpse of what the attacker looked like, but when he was found, he made no sense whatsoever"
Garnet and Exley both exchanged glances again.
"What do you think?" Garnet whispered, as they watched Stompanatto light up a cigarette agitatedly
"I'll take those odds" Exley replied, distracted by her closeness momentarily "Cuglietta is in the Anaheim General Hospital and I'm sure we'll have no trouble going in to talk to him"
With that, he tossed the package of cocaine to Stompanatto and they left the restaurant together…