Chapter 21
The Bombing at Dodger Stadium
Back in Los Angeles, the Dodgers were one game from making the World Series and Rick Feldman, Skip’s former major-league-buddy-turned-horticulturalist, had left two tickets at “Will Call.” Skip invited Ken, our L.A. activist/gigolo, to take the other ticket. Ken was driving them to Dodger Stadium in Rosie’s car when Ken got a phone call that there was an emergency back at Rosie’s place. Somebody had drowned in Rosie’s swimming pool. The cops were there; Rosie couldn’t be reached; nobody was at the house; a neighbor had called Ken. “We gotta go back – we’ll just have to get to the game late,” Ken said.
Traffic was heavy and they were still on their way back to Rosie’s when the pre-game show on the radio was interrupted with breaking news,
“A bomb has just exploded at Dodger Stadium! No reports yet on injuries or deaths. Police and fire rigs are arriving as we speak.”
Skip and Ken could hear the sirens in the background as the Dodger’s announcer continued his on-the-scene reporting. “Holy Christ!” Skip said, “That could have been us!” The announcer was now saying the Stadium was being evacuated, the game likely cancelled, as police tried to piece together the events of the last minutes.
Almost back to Rosie’s, Ken made a confession, “You have to keep this just between you and me, okay? If anyone, I mean ANYONE, ever hears this . . . we – you too – could end up death row, lifers at best.”
“I don’t want to know,” Skip said.
“Okay, but I made up the story about the drowning – to save our lives – I faked that call.”
Curiosity skinning the cat, Skip exclaimed, “You knew there was going to be a bombing!!??”
“Yeah, you know that guy you stayed with up in Sacramento, Gordy? When he heard I was going to the game, he felt he had to warn me off. Gordy did time with a guy who’s now up in Vancouver and part of a terrorist cell.”
Skip could not believe his ears – hearing Gordy again (last name unknown, the guy he stayed with in Sacramento) and Vancouver again (where Susie’s son Joey knew certain persons he warned his mom to steer clear of) – and decided, at least for the moment, to keep it to himself what he knew about Vancouver and the possible connection to a murder in Montana.
The radio was now reporting that apparently nobody had been hurt in the explosion, but the Stadium was still being evacuated as a precaution.