Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: A Novel

As George’s caretaker, Squeaky holds a special position in the Manson Family. When Charlie is gone, Squeaky lets the other hippies at the commune into the house to watch television as George naps. When Cliff pulls up to the ranch with Pussycat, however, Squeaky tells the others to leave so that she can deal with Cliff. Squeaky meets Cliff at the door, and he explains that he used to shoot Westerns at the ranch and wants to see George. Squeaky tells him that George is napping and that she doesn’t want Cliff to wake him up. Cliff pressures her until she lets him in. She tells him that George is blind, so Cliff will have to tell him who he is. Cliff wakes George. However, even after Cliff explains that he’s Rick Dalton’s stunt double, George doesn’t remember him or Rick. Cliff asks whether Squeaky is taking advantage of him, but George is confused and tells Cliff that Squeaky loves him. Before Cliff leaves, he asks Squeaky if she’s trying to get George to change his will. Squeaky gets angry and tells Cliff that the only thing she talks to George about is marriage because she loves him. She adds that Cliff has no right to try to talk George out of marriage and their version of happiness.