The Golden Gizmo
The Golden Gizmo is a 1954 novel by the thriller writer Jim Thompson. Plot Toddy Kent, a former con-artist with a rap sheet in a dozen cities is now working as a door to door gold-buyer in Los Angeles for Milt Vonderheim's jewelry shop. Despite his disreputable line of work, he is able to keep a low profile in fear of the police digging into his criminal past. He lives in a hotel with his wife Elaine. Elaine spends most of Toddy's money on booze, and is a regular in the drunk tank. Their relationship is toxic but Toddy can't bring himself to leave Elaine, despite his friends urging him to. Milt has been a fatherly figure and a good friend to Toddy and Elaine. Toddy conceptualizes he has carried a "gizmo," a G.I. term for an unidentifiable, most of his life that time and again brings him the big break most men would kill for, only for it to slip through his fingers. At the outset of the story, Toddy is working and despite wanting to quit for the day, he calls on the last house in the neighborhood. A man named Alvarado, whom Toddy will refer to as "Chinless," answers the door with his massive dobermann which seems to be able to speak English. Toddy has a bad feeling about the man, who invites him in, and although he wants to excuse himself he steps inside. In the living room Toddy spots a heavy gold watch on the table, and is introduced to Alvarado's beautiful companion Dolores Chavez. Paralyzed by fear of the dobermann, Toddy nervously attempts to explain the meaning of his visit. He opens the box he carries to show Alvarado his haul for the day. To demonstrate that he buys gold he picks the watch up off the table, discovering that it weighs ten times what it looks like it should. Inexplicably Alvarado tries to kick Toddy, but hits the dobermann instead. While the doberman is pouncing on Alvarado, Toddy unconsciously drops the gold watch into his box and escapes. Toddy heads back to Milt's shop, and Milt informs him that Elaine is in jail again. Toddy bails her out and takes her back to their hotel. The two argue and Elaine locks herself in the bathroom. While she is showering Toddy opens his box and discovers Alvarado's golden watch. Upon examination, he realizes its casing is made of a pound of twenty-four karat, pure gold. He hides the watch in his drawer and goes to Milt's shop. He asks Milt about selling large quantities of gold but Milt, knowing the risks, is not interested. Toddy heads back home and finds his room ransacked and Elaine strangled to death with a stocking. He looks out the window and sees a man on the fire escape with his leg caught. The man is Donald, an enforcer for a small-time protection racket run by a man named Shake. Toddy forces Donald back to Shake's hideout and interrogates