The Derelict

After a lunch break Lyons worked another two hours then informed Evan he would need to install a different modem in the

computer to bring the memory up to the capacity needed for the program he planned to write. “I’ll be here first thing in the

morning and work on it some more.”

“Okay,” Evan replied. “I need to mention something to you that Gil Hastings might have already said, but if he did it’s

worth repeating. The information you’re feeding into the computer is very sensitive and not to be discussed outside this

room. If word of what we’re doing reaches the wrong ears our investigation will go up in smoke. Besides, I’ve already had

two attempts on my life; I don’t relish a third.”

In the morning, when Bill Lyons returned to the apartment, Gil Hastings was already there. Bill worked on the computer

for some time installing the new modem then began entering the data, establishing different files and icons to enter the files

or to locate specific information. He also created a password for Evans to use to enter the system.

While Lyons worked at the computer Wansley and Hastings talked about a few specific items that had been brought to

light by the investigative team. Two that both agreed were highly significant pieces of information were the disclosure of

Raymond Creighton’s mistress and the name of a restaurant that both Creighton and Captain Rapelli visited frequently.

Creighton’s mistress was a part-time model, part-time actress who went by the name of Naomi Rich. He modeling

consisted of frequent appearances at lingerie fashion shows. He action roles included regular appearances on the lustier

‘soaps’ and a number of bit parts in films. Information available showed her to be 31 years of age, a bit beyond the starlet

age.

A further examination of her background showed that she had attended college in Iowa and, while in college, had been

runner-up to Miss Iowa in the state beauty pageant. She had come to California to try to break into show business following

graduation from college, but had little success in that line. She had worked for several years in sales at a fashionable shop in

Beverly Hills, and then made connections to get into TV acting and lingerie modeling.

Naomi lived in a luxury apartment near the Wilshire district, an apartment obviously beyond her financial means. She had

lived there almost two years. Creighton, in the past three weeks, had been seen visiting her on six different occasions. On

each occasion he had stayed a minimum of three hours. Whether she had other male visitors was not known at the time the

report was made.

Gil Hastings, at Evan’s suggestion, decided to assign a young woman detective to make discreet inquiries at the

apartment building and also at the TV studio where she recorded her soap opera roles. These inquiries would be followed by

several days of surveillance by another undercover detective who would have no knowledge of the main investigation.

* * *

All three of the main team members, at different times, had followed one of the people on Evan’s list to a popular

restaurant in West Hollywood. During the three weeks of surveillance Raymond Creighton and Frank Rapelli had each been

there three times. Two of the lesser lights on the list had visited the restaurant twice; so far there had been no overlapping of

visits. Research of the restaurant’s ownership showed that the owner was a cousin of a mob leader killed in gang warfare

two years previously. It was agreed that the restaurant also would be put under surveillance.

Two days later, Christine Bullock, the detective who had made inquiries about Naomi Rich, reported the results to Gil

Hastings. “I talked to several neighbors and to the night doorman. None of them had anything but good things to say about

her. They were aware she had a gentleman friend, only one as far as they knew. They described her as friendly, quiet, and a

good neighbor. One young man seemed to be smitten with her; he described her as the woman he’d like to be shipwrecked

with on a tropic island.

“The studio where she works also gave her a glowing report. She had good work ethics, was always on time, did what

she was asked to do and got along well with the other actors. I was shown videos of some of her performances; she’s a

good actress but her roles are a bit raunchier than I care to watch.”

Hastings discussed all this with Evan Wansley and then added, “I’ve been trying to decide if we should talk with her about

Creighton, let her know he’s under a microscope.”

“Let’s hold off on that until we have a chance to see what surveillance tells us,” Evan replied.

Evan then informed Hastings that Bill Lyons had completed his installation of the computer program and had done a

beautiful job.

“Let me show you one thing I’ve already been able to do.” Evan punched in his password and then several more keys.

On the screen appeared the name of the restaurant that had become part of their scrutiny. Also, were the names and dates

of visits made by their subjects for the past three weeks. The last date showed a simultaneous visit by Frank Rapelli and

Raymond Creighton. They had arrived and left within 15 minutes of each other “Coincidence? I don’t think so.”

A detective assigned to follow Naomi Rich for an entire week reported all her con- tacts to Gil Hastings. Nothing out of

the ordinary had happened. She had two filming sessions at her studio, visited a hairdresser and a dentist, and made two

shopping trips; shopping for clothes in expensive shops in Beverly Hills. She also had been paid two visits by Raymond

Creighton, but no other visitors, male or female. On one occasion Raymond Creighton had stayed from 9 P.M. until after 1

A.M.

A different detective had been assigned to the surveillance of Chez Nous, the restaurant frequented by Creighton and

Frank Rapelli. This detective came up with a break for the investigation. One of the waiters at Chez Nous was a man he had

used from time to time as an informant. When he advised Gil Hastings of this Hastings instructed him to talk to the waiter.

“Get information from him on clandestine meetings taking place involving mob figures and politicos.” Hastings decided to not

be any more specific than that until after the detective, Randy Mills, had contacted his snitch.

Hastings advised Evan Wansley of these developments when they met one morning in mid-May. “Good,” said Evan, “If

we can get inside that restaurant we might get some concrete evidence we can later use in court. Perhaps it’s time now to

talk with Ms Rich.”

“I’ll have Christine Bullock do that some time tomorrow,” Gil replied. “We’ll need to give Christine a little insight on what

she can tell Naomi and what help she can ask for.”

“I’ll leave that up to you,” said Wansley.

* * *

The next afternoon, as he was approaching Chez Nous, the waiter, Juan Santillan, was intercepted by Randy Mills. “I

need to talk to you,” Mills told Santillan.

“Not here, not now,” Santillan replied, nervously looking around to see if they were being observed.

“Tonight, when you get off work. My car will be parked up the street one block. It’s a dark blue three year old Chevy

sedan.”

“One o’clock,” answered Santillan.

That same afternoon Christine Bullock knocked on the door of Naomi Rich’s apartment. When Naomi answered the

door Christine was amazed at how much more beautiful Naomi was in person than she was on the screen. She had the

perfect figure you would expect a model to have but, more than that, she also had a beautiful face. Christine flashed her

badge and asked if she could come in and talk to Naomi. Puzzled, Naomi complied.

“I’m acting on behalf of my lieutenant to talk to you about Raymond Creighton. He wants you to know that Mr. Creighton is

under investigation for conspiring with criminals. We’re hoping you will cooperate with us in the investigation. Will you

cooperate?”

At first Naomi didn’t reply. It took a few minutes for the message to sink in that her lover, Raymond Creighton, might be a

crook. ‘I don’t know what to say, and I don’t know how I can help you,” she finally replied. “I don’t know anything about

Raymond’s business, or who he does business with.”

“You might know more than you think you know,” Christine continued. “But you haven’t answered my question. Will you

cooperate with us?”

“If he’s a crook I hope you catch him. But now that you’ve told me this much maybe you can tell me more before I say any

more. Although, I still have no idea how I can help.”

Christine opened up then and informed Naomi what she had been told she could reveal, that Creighton was known to

have consorted with criminals both in Los Angeles and in San Francisco. This, in itself, wasn’t proof of criminal activity but

they were certain the proof was there if they could find it.

“You can help by thinking back to places you have been with him and contacts he has made. For example, he frequently

dines at a restaurant in West Hollywood, the Chez Nous. Have you been there with him and noticed people he has spoken

to? Or any other restaurants or gathering places?”

“I’ve been to the Chez Nous twice with Raymond,” Naomi replied, “but not recently. One of those times he left me for

about 15 minutes while he sat at another table talking to a man. He didn’t give me no explanation, only an apology.”

“What about phone calls?”

“He has never received any calls here but he has made many calls using my phone. I can’t object, he pays all my bills,

including the apartment. I’ve never paid attention to whom he calls.”

“We can find that out from the phone company,” Christine informed her. “One other question about the phone. Would you

give your permission for us to attach a listening device to your phone? It would be well hidden and difficult to find.”

“I guess I could let you do that if it will help; but you have put me in a bind. I can’t afford this apartment but I’m certain I

don’t want to continue my relationship with Raymond if he’s what you say he is. Any suggestions?”

Christine looked around at the luxury of the apartment. “I’m sure this must cost a pretty penny. How long has Raymond

been paying the bills?”

“For almost two years now. When we began our arrangement I lived in a much smaller apartment. Raymond said I

deserved something better and moved me here. So far it has worked out but I can see it ending and then, back to reality.”

“If you can hang in there for a few more months it would be a big help to our investigation. You might have to do the best

acting you have ever done.” Christine thanked Naomi and told her a telephone ‘service man’ would come by in a day or two

to ‘fix’ her phone.

As expected, Juan Santillan was extremely nervous when he climbed into Randy Mills’ car shortly after 1 A.M. If he was

observed by any of his ‘brothers’ he would end up dead. “Tell me what you want as quickly as you can,” he said to Mills as he

looked anxiously in all directions.

“I need information about some of your clients at Chez Nous. We have information that there have been secret meetings

there between local politicians and mob leaders. I want to know who they met with, how often they met with them and the

substance of their conversation.”

“I only work there three nights a week, so I can collect the good tips the waiters get. The rest of the week I’m running

errands for Joey Guerra. Joey is Sal’s bookkeeper and head man.”

Sal Carmonetti, as Randy Mills knew, was the man listed as the owner of Chez Nous. “Okay, I won’t keep you now. Get

me that information and keep me posted.”

* * *

Information obtained from the phone company was a veritable gold mine for the investigation. More than half the

numbers dialed from Naomi’s phone during the preceding six months were to members of the mob. Three were to Sal

Carmonetti, two were to the home of Frank Rapelli and two more were to Gino Capriotti (Big Daddy) on San Francisco.

Gil Hastings made arrangements with the owner of a liquor store in Naomi’s neighborhood to have a voice activated

recorder set up in the owner’s office. With the installation of the listening device in Naomi’s phone this recorder would

automatically record all phone conversations that took place using Naomi’s phone. Each time Raymond Creighton visited

Naomi the undercover detective on surveillance duty that night called at the liquor store following Creighton’s visit to pick up

the tape and replace it with a new one.

Randy Mills did not have the same kind of success obtaining inside information about Chez Nous. His informant, Juan

Santillan, admitted to Randy that he was too petrified to make any attempts at listening to conversations. A new approach

would be needed.

In the meantime, with Bill Lyons’ expertise on computers, Evan Wansley began to amass data on the financial activities

of both Raymond Creighton and Frank Rapelli. Much of the data was deeply hidden behind many layers of ownership, but

Lyons was able to use techniques with the computer that found its way through those layers and brought interesting

information to light. Whether that information would hold up in court was something the prosecutors would have to decide.

It was Gil Hasting’s contention that, if Evan was able to gather enough financial information to indicate close connections

between Creighton and Ravelli and the mob, Ike Ritter or perhaps the district attorney’s office would be able to find a judge

who would issue a subpoena. This subpoena would open all their financial records, which could then be used in court as

evidence.

If they could also come up with enough evidence to show collusion that would help in obtaining a conviction. Hopefully,

the telephone records and the telephone tap would provide that evidence. Infiltration of the mob itself, or suborning a mob

member, would also be invaluable. Randy Mills was instructed to work on Juan Santillan for that purpose.

When the investigation in Los Angeles was ready to go public two things would happen: First, Evan Wansley would pay

a return visit to San Francisco to help set up procedures there. Second, Wansley would return to Los Angeles and contact

the editor of the Los Angeles Times. A new editor had replaced the man on the job during Evan’s earlier stint with the paper,

an editor Wansley had suspected was on the mob’s payroll. Carl would inform the new editor he had returned from the dead

and had completed the expose that had been rudely interrupted three years earlier, and was ready to resume his long

dormant career.

Randy Mills was able to convince Juan Santillan to spy on his boss and the patrons of Chez Nous and to use a tape

recorder to tape conversations at the restaurant and in other circumstances where mobsters were conversing. Juan was

promised placement in the witness protection program if he would testify. Throughout the rest of May and through June Juan

reported each night to Mills and supplied him with information about contacts he had observed and conversations overheard.

The phone tap on Naomi Rich’s phone also paid huge dividends. Incriminating recordings were made in which

Raymond Creighton discussed mob activities and his role in them with various mob leaders. Several of the conversations

were with Frank Rapelli.

On Monday, July 9 subpoenas were served simultaneously in San Francisco and Los Angeles at banks and other

financial institutions where the leading suspects had accounts or carried out financial transactions. These were followed on

Tuesday, July 10 with the arrest of mob figures in both cities.

The Los Angeles Times, on Wednesday, July 11 carried banner headlines proclaiming the arrests; also, the first of ten

installments by Evan Wansley on the undercover expose he had put together. A separate article, written by a young reporter,

described the past three years of Wansley’s life and how he had literally ‘Returned from the Dead.’

Similar headlines in the San Francisco Chronicle described the arrest of mob leaders in that city.

Epilogue

Raymond and Frank Rapelli in Los Angeles and Gino Caprioti in San Francisco were convicted of charges ranging from

conspiracy to commit murder to money laundering and were sentenced to 10 to 20 years in federal prison. Many lesser

lights were rounded up and convicted of various crimes. A number of them, including Jonathan Woods, were three time

losers involving crime of a violent nature. Their sentences were 25 years to life.

Naomi Rich, without fanfare, gave up her luxury apartment and moved to a smaller, more modest one and continued her

career as a part-time actress, part-time model. Within a year she took up residence with a Holly wood script writer whom

she later married.

Juan Santillan was provided with a new identity and a job in Seattle. Not able to maintain the discipline a full-time job

required he fell by the wayside, returned to petty crime and served time.

Jesus Rodriguez’s testimony helped convict Jonathan woods of attempted murder. He was also relocated, from San

Francisco to Southern California. His job as a truck driver provided the lift he needed to stay crime free.

Carl Benson, in San Francisco, rose steadily through the ranks and became a lieutenant within three years. He was then

assigned to lead a permanent investigation into organized crime in the city.

Evan Wansley returned to the newspaper as an investigative reporter, turning down an offer to be an assistant editor.

His book describing his life as an investigative reporter was published a year later.

END OF STORY.