To Kill a President (42 page)

“I’m not leaving Faraday.”  Jane shouted.

“Nobody is asking you to.  Mr Kennedy is going to organize transport for us first thing tomorrow morning.  He has assured me medical staff will be with us every step of the way.  Then when we get to Washington Faraday will be taken into hospital.”

Jane looked to Nancy she didn’t know what to say.  “What about Bobby?”  Nancy asked.

“I don’t know.”  Clint conceded.  “I don’t think there is anything we can do for him.  From what I’ve heard he attacked Fritz in the middle of a line up I don’t think there is much doubt he did it.”

“Why would Bobby do that?  Surely he never killed anyone?”  Nancy asked.  Her jaw was wide open.

“I don’t know if he did or not.”  Clint conceded.  “But we can’t stay here it’s not safe.  I think going to Washington is our best move.”

“But would Faraday be able to travel?”  Nancy asked.

“I don’t think flying would be safe.”  Jane said.

“No Mr Kennedy said that. I think we will be driving.”

“How long will that take?”  Nancy asked.

“I think it will take about a day.”  Clint replied.

“And there will be doctors with us?”

“Mr Kennedy said there will be the best doctors that money can buy.”

“Well I guess we have to do it.”  Jane decided.

Chapter 89

When the plane touched down David noticed that they had landed in another field.  Where the hell were they taking him?  It was dark outside, David had drifted off at one point and wasn’t sure how long they had been in the air.  He wasn’t sure what day it was.  He guessed it was Sunday, Monday or Tuesday but could not say which with any degree of certainty.  Once the plane had come to a halt Gerry Hemming opened the door and signalled for David to get off the plane.

David struggled to his feet, his legs felt like jelly.  He knew he was walking to his death.  As he jumped from the plane to the grass below he was sure his legs would buckle and they did, he fell forward onto his hands and knees.  He managed to rise to his feet whilst Gerry Hemming jumped from the plane to the grass below.  David took in his surroundings, he was in the middle of a field there was a forest all around him.  It looked similar to where they had taken off from but it was dark now, he could barely make out the trees in the distance.

He looked back towards the plane and saw the cockpit door opening, David Ferrie appeared and behind him a man that he recognised from the black ring binder as Billy Seymour, Lee Harvey Oswald’s double.  The resemblance was uncanny.  If he hadn’t known Oswald had been arrested he would swear it was him.  David Ferrie and Seymour jumped down from the plane onto the grass.

“Make it quick Gerry.”  Ferrie said.

“I’ll do it.”  Seymour said.

“You sure?”  Gerry asked.

“Yeah.”  Seymour pulled a revolver from his holster and pressed it into David’s stomach.  “Turn around and walk towards the trees.”

David did as he was told his legs losing strength with each passing step.  The grass below him was wet and he almost lost his footing a number of times.  His thoughts turned to Sharon.  Would they meet in heaven, was there a heaven? 

“Keep going, hurry up.”  Seymour yelled.

As they approached the trees David considered making a run for it.  It was dark and there were so many trees I might just make it.

“Don’t even think about running.”

How did he know?  David’s knees felt as though they were going to buckle once again, but they held firm.  Even if I tried to run I wouldn’t make it he thought.  The two men continued walking deep into the forest in silence.  After a few minutes Seymour gave his orders.

“Turn around and get on your knees.”  David did as he was told.  When he turned he looked at Seymour it was dark so it was hard to make out the expression on his face.  David was glad about that, he would close his eyes and think of Sharon.  As David struggled to his knees he almost fell forwards once again but he managed to remain upright.  He closed his eyes and pictured Sharon, he would be with her soon enough.

He waited for a shot but it didn’t come, the silence was broken by Seymour.

“You’re a friend of Bobby Stinson’s aren’t you?”

“Yes.”  David replied, his voice trembling.  He opened his eyes and he made out the shape of the revolver in the man’s hand.

“If you see him where you’re headed tell him Lee Harvey Oswald said he was sorry.”

This was the real Oswald David thought.  Then who was with Bobby?  He saw the revolver being raised to his head and closed his eyes thinking of Sharon.  Oswald pulled the trigger, the bang echoed throughout the forest. 

Chapter 90

When Bobby awoke it was 09:00.  He had been locked in his cell and left there since yesterday afternoon.  He had only been taken out to see the Judge who charged him with the attempted murder of Captain Fritz and the murders of Officer Ray Hawkins and Salvatore Maranzano.  He had pled not guilty to all three charges and had not yet been interviewed.  The cops were probably too busy grilling Oswald.  The cell was eight foot long and six foot wide.  The walls were gray and the only things in the room were a metal bed frame with the thinnest mattress Bobby had ever seen and a bucket which he had had to use.  He was still wearing the same suit that he had chosen on Friday morning.  His white shirt was filthy and it had drops of Captain Fritz’s blood all over it.

Time was passing unbelievably slowly he felt as though he had been locked up for a month and it hadn’t yet been a day.  He wondered whether they had planned all along to set him up or whether it had been done when they saw he was trying to stop the assassination.  He wondered who’s decision it had been.  He hoped it wasn’t Meyer Lansky.  Despite their last two meetings they had still been friends for thirty years or at least Bobby had thought they were friends.  Maybe Meyer had never considered Bobby a friend maybe he was just an employee.

He wondered who else would be silenced.  After Chauncey trying to stop the assassins release he was probably the next one to be brought down.  Perhaps Jack Ruby had fled Dallas, not that it would do him much good.  They would find him and he would be killed.  If he had stayed then he would be killing Lee Harvey Oswald in a couple of hour’s time.  He hoped Gail Raven wouldn’t stick around they would show her no remorse if they found out what she knew.

The man that had helped them the most Garrett Underhill, he had done the right thing in fleeing.  Bobby hoped they wouldn’t find him, but he knew they would.  With something this big they wouldn’t take any chances.  Bobby had always thought he was above the level of people to be silenced, he was wrong.  Had Hoover known?  Probably he reasoned that must have been why he kept mentioning Mary Surratt, the woman that had been wrongfully executed after Lincoln was assassinated.  Hoover said that he hoped history wouldn’t repeat itself and that he wasn’t referring to Oswald, had he been trying to warn Bobby?  Well if that was the case he did a terrible job, it must have been Hoover that had told them about Maranzano.  But why?  Bobby posed no threat to Hoover, he was probably the most powerful man in the country he had files on everyone.  Nobody kept secrets from J Edgar Hoover.

His thoughts then turned to his real friends Nancy, David, Jane and Faraday.  Would they survive this?  It was doubtful that they all would.  Faraday had looked in a bad way, for all Bobby knew he was already dead.  If Meyer Lansky had been involved in setting up Bobby which was highly probable then Nancy would most likely be on the list of people to kill.  Jane’s name had become public after she spoke with Jim Garrison, the girl from the future.  She would probably find herself to be a target.  But with Clint Hill around and Bobby Kennedy helping them then perhaps they stood a slim chance.  But Bobby Kennedy would be silenced himself in a few years time by another lone gunman.  Then they would be alone.  David might survive he can handle himself but he had gotten in deep, he had performed the autopsy.  If anything dodgy was going on then David would probably be killed too. 

He gazed down at his watch it was 10:15 in roughly one hour Oswald would be killed.  They had screwed him over all right.  If anything Oswald had it worse than Bobby he had a wife and children.  He had done nothing wrong whereas Bobby had killed Maranzano and had beaten Captain Fritz.  He hadn’t been trying to kill him but he was guilty of assault he knew that.

His thoughts were interrupted by his cell door opening.  “You’ve got a visitor.”  The officer announced.  It must be Nancy.  Bobby struggled towards the cell door and followed the officer.  He was led into the corridor that he had walked along many times with Oswald in the past few days.  The officer opened a door that led into an empty office.  The only things in there were two chairs and a desk, this wasn’t a visiting room. 

“Who is my visitor?”  Bobby asked.

“You’ll find out in a minute.”  The officer closed the door and stepped outside leaving Bobby alone in the room.  It must be Hoover he thought.  Probably come to rub it in.  He sat down in the seat behind the desk facing the door.  After a couple of minutes the door opened again and Bobby saw the oldest friend he had in the world, Meyer Lansky.  Meyer walked into the room and took a seat.  He was wearing a grey suit and a black shirt and wore a grey trilby hat with a black stripe.

“Hello Bobby, you still haven’t aged a day.”  Meyer chuckled.

“You have.”

Meyer stopped smiling.  “Are you angry with me Bobby?”

“Was this your idea?”

“No it wasn’t my idea Bobby.  I knew it was going to happen but it wasn’t my idea.”

“You knew it would happen?  We’ve known each other for thirty years Meyer!  Does that mean anything to you?”

“Bobby you know the business we are in.  Its cut throat and something this big requires fall guys.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“I just came to tell you that I’m sorry.  I didn’t want this for you but it wasn’t my decision.”

“Who’s decision was it?”

“It was Marcelo’s.  Once I’d told him how you had reacted to what you were asked to do he was concerned.  Then when you wouldn’t let it drop he decided we couldn’t trust you, in his defence he was right.  You didn’t stop when you were told to.  You tried to get Oswald out of Dallas, even after those guys tuned up your friend you wouldn’t stop.”

“Was that your doing?  Having Faraday beaten and needing his eye removed.”

“No that was the CIA not us.”

“Do you know what you are involved in Meyer this is bigger than you too?  You and Marcello will be next.”

“Marcello is the one that gave the order.”  Meyer laughed.

“No he isn’t Meyer.  The order came from the Vice President, Hoover knew all along.  He didn’t stay silent because you told him to.  He already knew he was in on the plot.”

Meyer’s smile was gone now.  He suddenly looked very serious.  “You’re lying.”

“No I’m not Meyer you were all used.  The CIA and the mob may have planned the hit and carried it out but Lyndon Johnson was pulling the strings he was the man behind the curtain.  And if it ever does get out that Oswald wasn’t involved it won’t be Lyndon Johnson or J Edgar Hoover that are found out, they are too far removed.  It will be the mob and the CIA.  Maybe I’m fucked just now but it will come back around on you.”

Meyer looked worried, Bobby was pleased with his work.  “Is that the truth?”

“Yes Meyer it is the truth and just so you know if I get out of here and you are still alive and well I will kill you.”

Meyer laughed again.  “You’ll kill me?  Bobby I could have you killed within the hour if I wanted to.  But I’m going to watch you rot in here.  And then I’ll be there to watch you being sent to the chair.  I came here to apologize to tell you it was just business, but you have made it personal.  If you do ever get out which you won’t the moment your feet touch the sidewalk you will be killed.”  Meyer rose to his feet and knocked on the door which was promptly opened by the police officer.  As Meyer left the building Bobby was led back to his cell.  He walked along the corridor which suddenly became very busy, people were screaming and there were journalists everywhere.  As he tried to look through the crowd he saw Jack Ruby being dragged into a room by police officers.