Welcome To Sugarland

Prologue

The City of Laffite had one of the most modern, fastest, longest, most extensive trolley systems in the world with connections that brought it across the bay and into the heart of Galveston. The absolute devotion to a broad public transit network within and between the two cities is a testament to the cities' histories in transportation revolutions: steamships, trains, and soon planes. The foremost founding citizens of Galveston and Laffite made so much money in trains, how would it have looked if the cities they called home were anything less than exemplars of twin rail efficiency?

The passion of those industrialists and the wise, civic commitment of city planners to carrying on their legacy meant a movie star could take the trolley from Sugarland, the agglomeration of movie studios in the north side of the city, all the way to Beach Boulevard right on the Gulf in Galveston with nothing more than his good looks.

That was exactly what Roger Ashley, considered one of the finest living thespians by people who think about such things, was doing on the night of June 1st, 1949. He'd hopped the trolley somewhere near the RYCO Studio lot at a quarter after eight. Dressed to the nines in his Jordt tailored tuxedo which he'd been wearing around the lot since at least six that evening. A highly recognizable figure, his movements were noted by hundreds that night.

At 8:40 he got off at the Downtown Laffite stop on Bradford street. He stepped on again at 9:10 accompanied by an up and coming young starlet, one Miss Navarro. Attention remained of course on the dapper Ashley. Miss Navarro, though stunning in a baby blue sheath, simply did not catch the attention he did, and were they not together her appearance on the trolley may have gone quite unremarked upon.

It was 9:30 when they crossed over the bay to Galveston Island. It was noted that Ashley and Miss Navarro had moved to the left side of the trolley and he was excitedly pointing her to something outside though none could say what it was that had caught their attention. A quarter to ten, the couple stepped off at the Beach Boulevard station, end of the line. They proceeded promptly to Milan House which was of course the second classiest hotel on the beachfront strip but it was well known that Ashley kept a room there on a permanent basis. No check in at the front desk, not unusual.

They were back and spotted heading into La Lune at 10:30. That's when first hand accounts start to thin out. The clientele of La Lune is a more tight lipped, less awestruck crowd. Ashley was a regular there as were so many other stars and starlets, whether he arrived by trolley, car, or boat was no nevermind. La Lune was a private club and getting past the foyer without a membership was no easy feat but it was not unheard of.

The 600 foot pier (the length was commonly exaggerated further) stretching from the entrance hall down to the actual nightclub had a covered and uncovered section. Ashley and Navarro were spotted from the boardwalk walking the uncovered portion and a casual promenade pace.

What goes on inside La Lune is not a well kept secret but any secrecy, particularly when mixed with the comings and goings of the powerful and famous, breeds a great deal of rumor. But nothing so scandalous as all they say ever really happens in La Lune. Aside from a bit of gambling, everything is always on the up and up. Julian runs that sort of clean, refined establishment. If he didn't, the studio bosses would never let all their top talent, a top attraction of the nightclub, to patronize it.

On the night of the 1st, Natasha Green, the singer, was said to have given a wonderful performance. An inebriated Dominic Peston started a bit of a fracas with his former co-star, Nikolay Diamond, but the management had it locked down in no time, Dominic being rushed off before he made a noteworthy scene. And the lovely Maria Lane was spotted spending her evening with notorious Cleveland gangster, Jack "The Bomber" Lem. Sure to cause alarm for her studio when word got out but nothing out of the ordinary for a Wednesday night in Galveston beach.

But how Roger Ashley spent the rest of that night, no one can say. Miss Navarro was seen leaving La Lune through the front door at one in the morning, not escorted by the dashing Ashley but another man she must have met while in the nightclub, perhaps after Ashley had vanished. No one recalls seeing Ashley leave that night.

Now, Ashley has a reputation for disappearing for days at a time. He's a man who enjoys his privacy, enjoys a little mystery, intrigue, and thoroughly enjoys scaring the bejeezus out of his manager. It's not something to cause alarm. At least not usually. However, Ashley had been cast as the villain in Ed Ellis's latest pet project. Some bold, astounding new movie that Ellis promised would revolutionize the industry if it didn't bankrupt him first. And Ashley was scheduled to film the following week. The ire of Ellis was likely to take anything from playful disruption to full blown catastrophe in no time at all.