September 15th, 1967

Poor Nathan, he's doing this deal with Nick to pay off debt of kilo he owes somebody else. He held the money for a month, trying to get the guy a good deal.

"He's a real nice guy,” he says, “I didn't want to get him just any shit."

Then he gets burned for the kilo.

As a result he goes into this deal with Nick to replace the money. Expects to make $1,000. He also wants to pay off Michelle's car that blew up in Iowa.

Legally Nathan is a criminal, but this becomes so absurd in view of his kind ways & boyish face.

How they score: Nathan & Nick fly to L.A. with empty suitcases, buy older car because it has more places to hide stuff.

Prefer '58 Buick because of door panels. Border guards will roll down windows to see if there’s dope behind door panels—windows in '58 Buick will roll down & still hide stash.

Then they drive to San Diego, guy there drives the car into Tijuana for $200.

Guy picks up stuff in Tijuana, drives back, gives them the car.

Then they take out the door panels, put grass in trunk, pack it in suitcases & fly back to San Francisco.

Nick mentions that the guy in San Diego lost one of his drivers. Bullshit.

He tries to talk Nathan into driving it back from Tijuana. Nathan refuses.

Nick suggests that they get drunk in Tijuana & get a sailor to drive it back. Nathan doesn't like it.

Nick offers to pay Nathan to drive it, nope.

Then Nick mentions that somebody wants to come in for $800, making it a load of 50 kilos, requiring 2 footlockers.

Nathan says that would be conspicuous.

Nick mocks him for being afraid.

Nathan still refuses, then says he'll go if he's given his 10 kilos in San Diego so he can split by himself.

"This'll be the last time," he says & laughs. "That's what I said the last time."

Story about Nick getting burned last night for $150, won't give Nathan the details. Nathan's afraid of Nick, doesn't pursue it.

"I don't need any lumps," he tells me. "They hurt."

Nick is risky business—once tried crossing border with grass, hiding booze to save money on 10 bottles. He got busted for the booze & then they found the grass.

Nick playing cops & robbers like a little kid. Carried a '38 to the laundry the other day. Claims somebody wants to shoot him.

He can’t work without Nathan—he looks too much like a cop. Nathan getting dirty end of deal.

Michelle worried, but won't stop him. She makes a mock-sad face when he mentions leaving for L.A. He promises to take her to Big Sur when they get back. She decides to go with him.

Nathan says we need to smoke some hash, starts looking for it. He’s standing on sink, looking on shelves, in cans. Flash like he remembers, climbs on chair, searches beam above door, not there.

Everybody crawling around on their hands & knees looking in closets, drawers, secret hiding places.

"Sometimes I stash things so well,” he says, “even I can't find them."

He asks Michelle if it's under the sink.

She’s looking in the pool-cue case.

"You stashed the meth there!" she says.

Finally we give up. As we leave for North Beach, Nathan sticks a joint behind his ear & covers it with his hair.

"My perfect stash,” he says.

» September 17th, 1967 : Walking The Dog