To Kill a President (31 page)

As she looked around she felt as though she was a part of history, she had seen the pictures from Dealey Plaza on this day and now she was part of it.  Standing further along the street she saw the famous lady in red talking with her friend.  This is the most surreal experience of my entire life she thought.  She looked up the slope towards the Northern Pergola and saw a man standing on a wall with a video camera.  That’s Abraham Zapruder she thought, that film he is taking is about to make him rich and famous.

She looked back towards the School Book Depository and saw a man pointing up towards the sixth floor window.  He was pointing something out to his wife.  That could be the gunman she thought.  Or it could even be Bobby.

She carried on walking and noticed another famous witness.  The Babushka lady, she was named so because of the headscarf she wore on her head.  She was never identified.  As Jane studied her she began to wonder what evidence the Babushka lady managed to catch on her camera, the FBI never confiscated it.  Perhaps she could be the key to capturing the shooter.

Jane gazed up towards the picket fence and could see someone walking behind it.  She looked towards the Hertz Rental Sign, it was 12:20.  That could well be the assassin.  She ran across the street and began making her way up the steps as a young man emerged from behind the picket fence.

“What were you doing back there?”  Jane asked.

“I wanted to get up onto the bridge to watch the motorcade passing but this Secret Service guy said I couldn’t be there.  Bloody fascist.”

“Yeah I was hoping to get back there too.”

“I wouldn’t bother he’ll just send you back here.  We could watch it from here.  I’m Gordon Arnold.”  Gordon stretched out a hand and Jane accepted the gesture.

“I’m Jane.  I’m going to try and get back there.”

“It won’t work Jane.”

Jane went on anyway, as she got behind the picket fence she looked into the car park, she saw a very dirty white car driving around the parking lot very slowly.  That must be them she thought.  As she began to walk towards it her arm was grabbed, it was the man she recognized as Frank Sturgis the CIA agent.

“I’m sorry mam nobody is allowed back here.”

“Who are you?” she asked.  Frank flashed a Secret Service badge at her.  “Can I get a picture taken with you?  I’ve never met someone from the Secret Service before.”

Frank looked annoyed.  “No now get out of here.”  He barked.

“Sorry.”  She mumbled.  She headed back down the knoll where she saw Gordon Arnold.

“Did he catch you?”

Jane nodded.

“Told you so.”

Jane carried on walking and decided to take up her previous position near the Babushka Lady.  She gazed up at the Hertz Rental sign it was 12:28.

Chapter 65

As David left the others he ignored the crowds and headed into the Dal-Tex building.  The Dal-Tex building is a seven story building directly across from the Texas School Book Depository.  David scanned the names of the companies that held offices in the building and was stunned to see that Abraham Zapruder the man who captured the assassination on film had an office in the building.

David had no idea where to put himself in the building, no one had even been sure there was a shooter in this building until Garrett had told Bobby yesterday.  David decided to take the stairwell up to the first floor.  As he reached the first floor he was about to enter the corridor when he noticed a man loitering in the stairwell.  The man had black hair and was wearing a leather jacket.  David was certain this man was not one of the gunmen. He had studied the ring binder cover to cover.  The man was half way up the flight of stairs almost crouched looking towards the upper floor.

“What are you doing?”  David asked.

The man jumped obviously startled by David’s presence.  “Do you work here?”  The man responded.

“No, do you?”

“No.”

“Why are you here?”  David asked.

“I saw a couple of guys go up there.”  The man pointed up the stairs.  “It was weird I think they had a rifle case and one of them had a radio.  Could be Secret Service.”  The man reasoned.

“Could be.”  David agreed.

“I don’t think so though, don’t they normally wear suits?  These guys weren’t wearing suits and one of them looked Cuban.  You don’t get Cuban Secret Service agents.  What if they’re assassins?”

David began walking up the stairs to the man, he eyed him suspiciously was this some kind of trap?  David looked at the man.  He reckoned he could probably take him if it came to it.  “Where did they go?”  David asked.

“They went out into the second floor corridor.”

David went up towards the door leading to the corridor.  He opened the door slightly and peaked into the corridor. He looked to the left first and saw nothing, when he looked to the right he saw a man poking his head out of a doorway just as he was doing.  David pulled back out to avoid being seen.

“I think I’ve found them.”

“Where are they?”  The man asked.

“There in an office down the end of the corridor.  It’s one facing the triple underpass”

“What should we do?”

“Do you have a gun?” 

The man nodded.  “It’s Texas everyone has a gun.” 

“Who are you?”

“Bill Sawyer.”

“I’m David Lewis.  Bill they are assassins, how well can you shoot?” 

“Pretty good.”

David couldn’t believe the way this was panning out.  “I think we can take them.”

“Let’s do it.”

David glanced down at his watch.  It was 12:25.  Kennedy would arrive in Dealey Plaza in five minutes. 

“Should we maybe try and get someone who works here?”  David asked starting to worry about murdering a man.

“Do we have time?”  Bill replied.

“No.  We either do it or they’ll kill him.”

“I’m not letting a President die in my town, even if it is Kennedy.”

David still wasn’t sure he could trust this man but what choice was there?  With Bill’s help one of the teams could be taken out, even if the others killed Kennedy this would blow away the lone gunman theory.

He looked at his watch again, they had three minutes.

“Christ lets go.”  David went back up towards the door with Bill following closely behind.  He poked his head into the corridor once again, this time the office door was closed.  “Come on.”  He whispered.  They made their way along the corridor as quickly and quietly as they could.  As they got to the office door they stood on either side of it.

“Right lets be nice and quiet we might not have to shoot.”  David said.

“Come on don’t be scared lets nail them.”  Bill replied.

Fucking Texans he thought.  As he went to open the door he heard a gunshot.

“Fuck it.”  He threw the door open and they both ran into the room.  There was only one man and he was holding a pistol not a rifle.  “Freeze!”  David yelled taking aim at the man.  The man was too quick he turned and managed to fire one shot which hit the wall.  David and Bill fired simultaneously and both hit the man in the chest.  Blood squirted out of his chest in every direction.  As they watched him fall David heard another gunshot.  It was then that he realised there was a rifle poking out of the cupboard at the left hand side of the room, it was balanced on a box pointed out of the window.

“Come out of there!”  Bill yelled.  David glanced to the man on the ground it was Jim Braden, he was dead.  Blood was now pouring onto the floor.  The cupboard door began to open.  As it did so a man yelled into the room.  David turned instinctively and pulled the trigger, the shot hit the man in the head. 

“Holy shit David, I think he works...”  Bill was cut off by the sound of another gunshot this one hit him in the head.  David turned back as Eladio Del Valle ran at him and knocked him to the ground.  Before David could get back to his feet Eladio had gone.  When David did get to his feet he knew he had to leave quickly.  He glanced at the bodies on the floor, they were all dead.  The man he had shot looked like an office worker.  He could hear a commotion coming from outside, people were screaming.  Had they killed the President or had they failed he wondered?  How the hell could he get out of here without being arrested?  He put his gun away and headed for the door.  He turned left at the door and saw there was a fire escape door that was open.  Eladio must have gone that way.  David decided to follow suit.  As he got outside he could still hear screaming.  People were running in every direction.  He bounded down the stairs praying no one would see him.

As he reached the bottom he was grabbed by a police officer.

Chapter 66

As Bobby entered the School Book Depository he was immediately stopped in his tracks by a man he didn’t recognise.  “Surely you’re not working on the floors dressed in a suit?”

“Excuse me?” Bobby said.

“You aren’t putting plywood on the floor dressed like that?”

“Oh no of course not, I’m a manager in the company, I’ve just dropped in to see how the work is coming along.”

“Oh no worries, I’m the building supervisor Roy Truly.  If you need anything just ask.”

“Actually now you mention it I could do with a Coke have you got a vending machine in here?”

“Yeah, follow me.”

Bobby did as Roy said and they entered an elevator.  “So how’s the new floor coming on?”  Roy asked.

“This is actually my first visit so I’ll tell you on my way out.”  Bobby replied.

“They seem to be working pretty hard don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

The elevator door opened and Roy led Bobby into the lunch room.  Sat down at a table in the corner was Lee Harvey Oswald.

“Okay you got your vending machine there.  Your workers are up on the sixth floor, just take the elevator up.  You okay from here?”

“I am thanks Roy.”

“No problem.”  Roy went back into the elevator and returned to the ground floor.

Bobby looked over at Oswald.  “Would you like a coke?”  He asked.

Oswald looked up awkwardly. “Um yes thanks.”

Bobby bought two cokes from the vending machine and hobbled over to the table Oswald was sitting at and sat down directly opposite him.

Oswald gazed at him for a moment.  “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

“Yes you do Lee we met at the Carousel Club.”

“That’s right.  You’re a friend of Jack’s?”

“No I wouldn’t say that Lee.  I’m a friend of yours.  In fact as of now I’m the only friend you’ve got.”

Oswald was shocked.  “What’s going on?”

“They’re going to kill him Lee, we have to leave.”

“Kill who?”

“The President.  You know what I’m talking about.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m a lawyer Lee, the mob want me to silence you.  They are going to kill him and pin it on you.  I know everything.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do!  The staged fight in New Orleans that you had with Carlos Bringuier, they made you do that to make you look like a communist nutcase.  The Hiddel ID they have other people using it Lee.  They have other people using your name too.  We have to leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Lee seriously why would I lie?”

Oswald considered this for a moment.  “Why would they lie?  I’ve been an agent for years.”

“Trust me Lee think about your kids.”

Bobby was silent as a woman walked through the room.  Oswald had a terrified look on his face.  “Nothing is going to happen, I’ve warned everyone.  I gave a note to the FBI here in Dallas warning them.  I was infiltrating the group that were plotting to kill him.  It’s these Cuban exiles, but the CIA has a team here stopping it.”

“The CIA are in on the plot Lee, they are going to make you take the fall.” 

“If that’s true then running would just make me look guilty.”

“I know that’s how it seems.  I’m not really sure where you should go but they will kill you if you stay here.”

“If something goes wrong I’m to meet with my handler at the Dallas Theatre.  We can go there.”

“No they’ll find you.  You have to leave town.”

“What about my family?”