Doc learns that Shasta was behind Vigilant California’s recruitment of Coy Harlingen. Coy is Shasta’s friend and ex-lover. She respected his musicianship, knew he was hooked on heroin, and knew he needed a break in his life. So she gives Coy the phone number of her friend Burke Stodger, a semi-retired actor once blacklisted and later turned “countersubversive” informant (snitching on communists). Burke sets Coy up with Vigilant California. (308) Burke is a member of Vigilant California.
Coy explains to Doc why he accepted Vigilant California’s offer to become an informant on the counterculture. According to Coy, Vigilant California seemed to care about him, offered to help him kick his heroin habit, and promised to provide for Coy’s wife and daughter once he faked his death.
While Coy was in rehab at the Chryskylodon Institute, Vigilant California fulfilled their promise to give Coy new teeth. This procedure was carried out by Dr. Rudy Blatnoyd of Golden Fang Enterprises. (301) Vigilant California also made a sizeable anonymous deposit in Hope Harlingen’s bank account, which seemed to Hope to be an insurance-policy payout for her husband’s death.
Coy discovers that the “patriots” who were running him were being run themselves by another level of power altogether.
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Character Relationships in Inherent Vice, Chapter 17 — 159 KB PDF