To Kill a President (4 page)

“American Tourist Found Dead in Loch Ness”

“A man was found drowned in Loch Ness last night at around 23:00.  The man was found in the water by a passerby walking his dog late last night.

An ambulance arrived around 23:22.  The man who has been identified as Robert Stinson was pronounced dead at the scene.  It is believed that Mr Stinson had arrived in Edinburgh from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport at around 14:00 on 10
th
September.  His reason for travelling to Scotland is unknown and a return ticket to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was found in the man’s possession also dated 10
th
September.

DCI Hugo Evans stated that “It appears Mr Stinson had rented a car in Edinburgh and had driven to Inverness.  We have spoken with an employee from the Edinburgh branch of Enterprise who has confirmed that Mr Stinson arrived at around 9:00 yesterday morning.  She stated that Mr Stinson appeared to be upset and had great difficulty walking.  She also stated that Mr Stinson walked with a cane.  The cane has not been found at the scene or in the car, which has been recovered.  The findings from the Toxicology report show that Mr Stinson had been drinking heavily and a bottle of Jack Daniels was found in the passenger seat of the rented vehicle.  We would appeal for anyone with further information to come forward and we are not ruling out the possibility that this may be linked with the suspicious death of Dr David Lewis who was found at Edinburgh Airport on the 10
th
September.”   

Dr Lewis worked at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas as a forensic pathologist.  It had previously been assumed that he had committed suicide, a knife was recovered from the scene.”

After Faraday had read the article he could not believe what he had seen.  Why had these two strangers come to visit him out of the blue and then committed suicide?  Why had Bobby gone to Inverness? Was he following the light?  James looked at the time on his laptop and saw that it was 13:00. He could be in Inverness before it got dark.  He could visit Jane’s bench and search for the light in his dreams.  He rose from his chair and walked over to the wardrobe, he chose his black suit and a white shirt.  He then looked in the top drawer by his bed and pulled out his black tie.  He had not been able to say goodbye to Jane, they had never found her. He would change that today.  Once he had changed his clothes he got into his Blue Ford Ka and prayed that it would handle the long journey from his parent’s home in Linlithgow to Inverness.

Chapter 7

As David Lewis watched his friend hobble away he knew he had crossed a line.  How could he have said that about Bobby after everything they had been through?  He had been the only friend David had known for over fifty years.

He looked over at the glass of Jack Daniels that Bobby had left and took a sip.  As he did so he heard the announcement that Gate 12 was now open for passengers flying to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.  He gave out a long sigh.

He looked towards the barman.  He was a young man with pale skin and bright auburn hair, he had green eyes and a cheery demeanour.  “Excuse me son, do you serve food?”

The barman nodded with enthusiasm and handed David a menu.  David glanced at the menu and he almost instantly decided on steak and chips.  Within twenty minutes the young man returned with his order and a bottle of Budweiser.

David devoured his food and began to regret his decision.  I should have gone for the flight he thought. I’m a long way from home, what a place to end the journey after eighty years. 

As he supped from the bottle he began to think back to the last time he had seen Sharon.  She was beautiful.  She had long blonde hair that blew in the gust created by the helicopter blades.  From where he was stood he couldn’t make out her features but they were unforgettable.  Those eyes were so revealing. If ever he arrived home and saw her he could always tell what kind of mood she was in, the eyes gave it all away.  She had a curvy body, in all the right places.  He had loved her from the moment he had laid eyes on her.  She hadn’t even noticed him that fateful day, he was old even then.  He had screamed to try and catch their attention.  Bobby had tried to help, he knew that.  He had pierced the fuel tank, they should never have taken off.  Why the hell did Kenny take off!  Why the fuck didn’t he double check the fuel tanks?! Why would he have checked?  He knew there was enough fuel, it was only a ten minute flight.

As the helicopter flew into the distance he knew what he was about to witness.  He saw the black trail gushing from the fuel tank.  Did Kenny even notice?  As the helicopter began to struggle he saw the familiar flash of light and then the helicopter fell vertically from the sky like a stone. They couldn’t hear the crash from their vantage point as the helicopter hit the water.  None of the bodies had ever been recovered.  He had never expected them to.

Why the hell had he even listened to Bobby? “Whatever happened, happened!  If you didn’t do it then you can’t do it David!”  The fucking hypocrite his relationship with Nancy surely broke those rules!  Although perhaps he was right, maybe they had caused the helicopter to crash, maybe that’s the way it had always been.  Had he brought this all on himself?

He sat silently and he knew he needed something stronger to drink, maybe Bobby was right about that too.  He ordered an Old Fashioned.  He sat at the bar and watched the young man closely.  The innocence of youth, how unburdened he had once been.  Now he couldn’t even sleep to ease the pain.

When his drink arrived he thanked the barman.  Whilst the barman’s back was turned David slipped the steak knife from his plate into his jacket pocket.  He then picked up his drink and made his way past the small round empty tables, towards the bathroom. 

He opened the silver door and the room was dark, he stepped forward and the motion sensor lit up the toilet.  The walls were dark grey, directly in front of him was a long mirror that extended over four sinks.  To his left was the wall of the first cubicle, he walked further into the room towards the mirror and he looked to his left and noticed that on the far wall there were three urinals.  The toilet, like the bar was empty except for David and his reflection. 

He looked deep into his light brown eyes. They were the only part of his body that had not aged, despite the things they had seen.  How many hours had passed since he had last slept he wondered.  He removed his navy suit jacket and hung it on a peg on the inside of the cubicle closest to the urinals.  He returned to the mirror and began to stare into the eyes of the old man that stood in front of him.  As he did so he slowly undid the knot of navy tie he was wearing and placed it beside the basin in front of him.  He picked up the Old Fashioned that he had sat beside the basin and took a long gulp.  He began to undo the buttons on the cuffs of his shirt and pulled the sleeves to above his elbows.  He turned on the tap in front of him and began to splash his face with the cold water.  He walked towards the wall nearest the door and dried his face with a paper towel.  He turned once more to face the wall with the urinals and began looking at the ceiling.  In the middle of the ceiling he saw a smoke detector.  David wondered how sensitive it was.

He walked over to his jacket and reached inside to find his lighter and packet of cigarettes.  He only had one left.  As he pulled it from the packet he turned and again walked towards the mirror.  He lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply.  He had another large gulp from his Old Fashioned, he didn’t have much left. He must savour it.  He placed the glass gently down beside the sink and took another draw on his cigarette.  As he did so his thoughts turned to Jane. Was that my fault too?  Was Bobby right about that as well?

He began to relive the day that Jane had come into their lives.

Chapter 8

The date was November 1
st
1963.  James had been living with Bobby for three years in Dallas, Texas.  Bobby owned a luxury condo on the twelfth floor of 1505 Elm Street.  Bobby had managed to get James the documentation required to find work and as a result he was employed at Parkland Hospital as a forensic pathologist.

He still missed Sharon every day and night.   The night was the hardest.  As Bobby slept soundly each night, James stayed awake.  He passed the time by smoking too much and reading books.  The living room was a vast expanse with cream carpets and luxury leather sofas.  A television sat in the corner opposite the entrance to the room.  The condo itself was on the same street as the infamous “grassy knoll”.  In twenty one days the President’s motorcade would make the sharp left turn from Houston Street onto Elm Street and the world would be changed forever.  The biggest conspiracy in the history of human existence would take place just five minutes from their door.  In twenty two days he would have his answer, could the past be changed?  Even then Bobby had strong views on that particular subject

It was 06:00 as David looked up from the book he was reading “The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln.”

His thoughts turned to the first time he had seen the knoll.  He had been knelt over Sharon begging her to wake up.  He had been vomiting on and off for a few minutes, each time turning away from her body.  The tears had begun to pore from his eyes.  

It was then that Bobby had entered his life. As he knelt beside his wife weeping he saw a shadow covering the area around him.  The first thing that had caught his eye was the sight of the eagle staring almost judgementally from the top of the cane.  As he looked further up he saw a well dressed man with short black hair in a grey suit a white shirt and a black tie.  He wore a white carnation that contrasted with his tanned skin. the man looked almost Mediterranean with the exception of his piercing blue eyes.     

“Are you okay?” Bobby had asked.

“Of course I’m not fucking okay!  It’s... she’s my wife!”

“What happened?”

It was with this question that Bobby had truly shocked David.  “I uh... don’t know.....where the hell are we?!”   The adrenaline was giving way to shock.

“You need to come with me.”  Bobby had said forcefully.

His surroundings were spinning as David again turned away from his wife and began to vomit.

Bobby looked down on the man but he did not have time to show any sympathy, he looked to his left through the picket fence to ensure they could not be seen from the street.  The right as normal was deserted with the exception of the Interlocking tower by the train line and a few parked cars.  As he surveyed the scene he saw blood sprayed over the picket fence and what appeared to be dismembered limbs scattered around them.

“We really don’t have time for this, you have to come with me now!”

David looked up at the man, he had so many questions but all he could manage was “We......were on a helicopter.”

“Please just follow me, we can discuss this later”

“I’m not going anywhere!  She’s my fucking wife!” David screamed. “We need an ambulance!”

“And what will you tell them? You’re covered in blood standing over your wife’s body and you are surrounded by what appear to be human limbs.”

As David looked around the scene he realised that the man was right. “Oh my God!  Kenny! Barbara!” David turned as he began to vomit.

Bobby was growing anxious now, the man’s wailing and retching was bound to be overheard.  He glanced again towards the tower, no one was watching.  Bobby was not willing to die for this man, he would not go to the electric chair.  He had built up a life and a damned good one and now he had Nancy back.  “You either come with me now or I am leaving you here!  I’m not going to the chair for you!”

The chair? What the hell was he talking about?  David’s thoughts were cut short as the man began to hobble past him.  David glanced down at his wife, how could he leave her?  The man was right though, this looked bad and how could he possibly explain what had happened, he didn’t even know himself.  “Wait, please help me!”

Bobby turned towards the man, he couldn’t walk down the street like that.  The blood on his arms and shirt would certainly attract unwanted attention.  Bobby took off his grey suit jacket and handed it to the stranger.  The man was wearing red swimming shorts that camouflaged the blood but his pale legs were covered in the stuff.  He took of his suit trousers.  “Give me your shorts.”

“What?!”

“Just do it!” 

Bobby took the shorts and handed David his suit.  He slipped the shorts on.  Kevin would surely know better than to question him about his attire and an unexpected house guest.

“Put these on and follow me, just try not to attract any attention to yourself. Keep your head down!”

David nodded and the men walked the short distance to Bobby’s flat.

David wiped his eyes at the memory.  As he gazed out the window to the morning sky he thought he could hear Bobby stirring in his bedroom.  They would both need to be at work in three hours.  David tried not to ask too many questions about Bobby’s work, he knew the man was a qualified lawyer and as a result was a professional liar.  It was the type of men that Bobby associated with that had truly shocked David. The man was in bed with the mob, how else would he have attained the false birth certificates and false academic history, let alone the money required to Graduate from Yale Law School.  As David began to get lost in his thoughts he saw it.  The light flashed and lit up the morning sky.  It was happening again.