To Kill a President (46 page)

“How are you feeling Bobby?”

“Not too good Edgar, probably the looming prospect of death row and having to shit in a bucket.”

“Yes I can’t imagine that would be easy.”

“Why did you set me up Edgar?  What had I done to deserve it?”

“I didn’t set you up Bobby.  Half of the things you have been charged with you actually did do.  You did kill Maranzano and I have you admitting that to me over lunch on tape.  You did try to kill Gerry Hemming that night you met him at the Carousel Club.  You attacked Captain Fritz in the middle of the police station.”

Bobby hadn’t actually thought about it that way.  “But I didn’t kill Ray Hawkins and I didn’t kill Billy Beane.”

“Well I don’t know if that’s true or not Bobby.  Billy Beane was found shot dead in your condo and you certainly had a motive.  Ray Hawkins spent time with you on the day he was killed and we found this at the scene.”  Hoover pulled out an evidence bag from a box on the floor, inside it was the eagle from the top of his cane.  “Yours I believe?”

“I lost that!  I’m being set up and you know it.”

“We also found another one of these.”  Hoover pulled out a second evidence back containing the other eagle. “This was found at the scene of Maranzano’s murder.”

“You lying fuck I never even had the cane then.”

“Are you suggesting I planted this evidence?”  Hoover smiled.

“Well I guess you’ve got me.” 

“It would seem that way but you mustn’t give up.”

“Really?  Are you going to let me walk then?”

“I’m afraid not.  But I’m sure your friends won’t leave you to rot.”

“They’re still alive?”

“I believe they arrived in Washington today in an ambulance.  Seems they got into a shootout along the way.  Another three of the conspirators have been killed.  You and your friends are doing a good job of wiping them out.  I believe that brings the total up to six.”

Bobby smiled.  “At least someone is trying to see justice done.”

“And I appreciate the help.”

“Justice?  You?”

“I have done more than you know to help our fallen President.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes I have actually, but I’m afraid I currently serve the new President.”

“The King is dead, long live the King.”

“Something like that.”  Hoover agreed.

“So how is life under the new President Edgar?”

“Not quite what I’d expected if I’m completely honest.  He seems to agree with Jack Kennedy that I should be forced to retire when that time comes.”

Bobby was surprised.  “I thought you were friends?”

“No I wouldn’t say that.  I only have one true friend and that is Clyde Tolson.”

“I thought you were lovers?”  Bobby replied sarcastically.

Hoover blushed.  “You need to learn some manners.”

Bobby suddenly felt guilty.  “I’m sorry Edgar it’s not my place to comment.”

“No it’s not Bobby especially when I am here to help.”

“How are you planning to help me?”

“Well not so much help as enlighten.”  Hoover said with a smile.

“Knowledge is power right?”

“Yes that’s exactly right Bobby.  So did you figure out who gave the order?”

“Rockefeller.” 

“That’s right and do you know why?”

“No.”  Bobby conceded.

“Well President Kennedy signed Executive Order 1110 on 4
th
June 1963.  With that action Kennedy was attempting to take the power of the Federal Reserve to lend money to the US government at interest away from them.  He was returning the power to the Treasury to print money that is backed by silver.  In all Kennedy managed to bring $4.3 billion into circulation.  If this had continued it would have put the Federal Reserve out of business because their notes are backed by absolutely nothing, so there would be no demand for them.  The U.S national debt would fall and the bankers would lose the control they have over the United States.”

“So it’s essentially exactly what happened to Lincoln?”

“That’s right now you can’t say I didn’t warn you about that.”

“No I can’t.”  Bobby acknowledged.

“So basically after Executive Order 1110 the bankers were spooked.  Rockefeller approached Lyndon Johnson, he knew that Lyndon was not only being dropped as Vice President but was likely heading to prison.  He told Lyndon that as long as he does not use Executive Order 1110 then they would approve of Jack Kennedy being assassinated.  That set the ball in motion. 

Now as you know Kennedy had many powerful enemies that were more than happy to help.  Lyndon approached me to ask if I could find a fall guy, as it happened we were investigating Oswald anyway and he fitted the bill.  I believe the CIA may have been setting him up for a similar purpose but I don’t know if that is true. 

Lyndon then got in touch with Allen Dulles the former head of the CIA.  He still has a lot of clout there as you know and he found it exceedingly easy to find people that were still angry over the Bay of Pigs fiasco. 

Now as you know the CIA and the Mob worked together on Operation Mongoose.  Between them they arranged the hit men.  The only question that was left was where to carry out the assassination.  Texas was an obvious choice for Lyndon, he practically owns the town.  Not just that but the southerners weren’t exactly massive Kennedy supporters, he pissed of a lot of them with his Civil Rights, his Bay of Pigs and refusing to go to war with the Russians.  A war which would be over after a few buttons were pushed possibly resulting in the extinction of the human race.  But to the right wingers here in Texas it was all about showing the Commie bastards that we can take them if we want to.  Dealey Plaza was the perfect location, there are so many vantage points that no one could be sure where the shots were coming from.  Staging it here also meant that Lyndon could organise the route with Governor Connally.  He incapacitated the Secret Service by getting them drunk and leaving them with hangovers on the day of the assassination and any Secret Service agent that was up to the task was ordered to stand down.  The Dallas Police were easy for him to control because like I say he owns the town.  He also had the power of the oil companies behind him as they hated Kennedy over his plans to cut the Oil Depletion Allowance.  Bell Helicopter is also behind him as he fully intends to commit to the war in Vietnam.  Enter Michael Paine the Bell Helicopter employee, he and his wife Ruth became close with Oswald and got him his position at the School Book Depository.

If the Vice President, the CIA, the Mob, the FBI, the local Police Department and the money men are involved in murdering the President who is left to solve the murder?  The media were the final touch, they keep the public informed of world events and surely they would never lie.  Only problem for them is they are owned by money men.  And the smaller publications that aren’t go with the information they are given by the government.  You wouldn’t have seen it on the news but Dan Rather who was is essentially a gofer over at CBS broke the news to the world that he had seen film footage of the Kennedy assassination.  With the promise of a bright future if he said what we wanted him to he willingly lied about everything that happened.  The people believe what they are told by the media and those that don’t are branded as crazy conspiracy theorists.  The evidence will never come out because it has been suppressed by the government and the authorities and the media lie to the public and that is how to kill a President.”

“The American Dream is dead.”  Bobby added dryly.

“Well perhaps.  Now tell me is that how it happened before?  I mean is that what happened in the future?”

“Pretty much.”

“Strange isn’t it, all the similarities between the Lincoln assassination and the Kennedy assassination?”

“There weren’t that many.”  Bobby argued.

“I was rather hoping you’d say that, remember Bobby knowledge is power.”  Hoover started searching through his papers once he found what he was looking for he spoke again.  “Here we are.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a list I’ve made of the similarities, I must say I found it mind boggling.”

“Go on.”

“Firstly Abraham Lincoln was elected to congress in 1846, Kennedy was elected to congress in 1946.  Lincoln became the President in 1860, Kennedy became President in 1960.  Both Presidents’ were succeeded by men named Johnson.  Lincoln was succeeded by Andrew Johnson who was born in 1808, Kennedy was succeeded by Lyndon Johnson who was born in 1908.  Kennedy’s secretary was called Lincoln and Lincoln’s secretary was called Kennedy.”

“That is pretty strange.”  Bobby agreed. 

Hoover grinned.  “I’m not finished yet.  Both Lincoln and Kennedy had genetic diseases that they hid from the public.  Lincoln had Marfan syndrome and Kennedy had Addison’s disease.  They both lost sons whilst they were in power.  Lincoln lost Willie Lincoln who died aged twelve in 1862 and Kennedy lost Patrick Kennedy who died when he was just two days old in 1963.”

“They’re just coincidences Edgar.”

He grinned again.  “I’m still not finished.  Both Presidents’ commented before dying about how easy it would be for someone to shoot them.  Lincoln is noted as saying “if somebody wants to take my life, there is nothing I can do to prevent it.”  Kennedy once said whilst I was present “if somebody wants to shoot me from a window with a rifle, nobody can stop it.”

“He actually said from a window with a rifle?”  Bobby asked shocked.

Hoover nodded.  “Both of them were also shot in the head on a Friday.  Both of them were murdered in the presence of their wives, neither of whom was injured and they both held the dying President’s head in their arms.  Both of them were in the presence of another couple when they were killed.  In both cases the man was injured but not fatally.  As you know Major Rathbone was stabbed and Governor Connally was shot.  This one is quite a good one, Lincoln was shot in the Ford’s Theatre where as Kennedy was killed in a Lincoln that is produced by Ford.  Both assassinations were blamed on lone nuts that were known by three names, Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth and Kennedy’s murder as you well know was blamed on Lee Harvey Oswald.  Booth shot Lincoln in a Theatre and was then cornered by police in a warehouse, Oswald is adjudged to have shot Kennedy from a warehouse and was cornered by police in a theatre.  It keeps going both assassins were Private’s in the military.  Both assassins were born in the South and were known to support enemies of the United States.  Booth of course supported the Confederacy and Oswald was a Marxist.  Both used aliases Alek J Hiddell was Oswald’s and J. Wilkes was Booth’s.  Both men were assassinated before going to trial and both were shot with a Colt revolver.  Then we have the most startling one you tried to warn both President’s they were heading to their deaths.  Both of them ignored you.  In both cases the actual assassination was ordered by the bankers.  And of course I am being slightly liberal with your innocence but both you and Mary Surratt ended up in prison after the assassinations.”

“You forgot one.  Both Presidents’ murders were covered up.”

“I didn’t actually forget that one Bobby it’s just not strictly true.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well as I mentioned earlier Lyndon Johnson is planning on forcing me to retire.  That cannot be allowed to happen.  I didn’t expect it from him, but it really is his loss because I happen to know absolutely everything that happened.  I also happen to be head of the most powerful law enforcement Bureau in the world.  Now I hadn’t planned on doing anything just yet but I knew they were setting you up for a fall and I have to be honest, I find you fascinating.  I decided that I was going to act.  Did you witness Lee Harvey Oswald’s death?”

“No they arrested me before it happened.”

“That is not why you missed it Bobby, you didn’t see it because Lee Harvey Oswald didn’t die.”

Bobby’s jaw dropped.  “Did I hear you right?”

“You did.  The real Oswald escaped the theatre courtesy of a police car that arrived just minutes before the Theatre was surrounded.  The man that you represented was Billy Seymour.”

“So Seymour took Oswald’s place and Ruby shot him, why would he do that?”

“Because Seymour was wearing a bulletproof vest, Ruby was instructed to shoot him in the chest.  Seymour was bundled into an ambulance and taken out of Dallas.  He is fine.”

“What about Oswald’s family, do they think he’s dead?”

“No, as you know one of my agents visited Oswald’s house on multiple occasions.  Once I had decided that I was going to act I told him to tell Oswald and his wife.  That is why Oswald wouldn’t listen to you about leaving Dallas he already had plans on how to escape.”

“Then where is he?  Who else knows?”

“Well we both know, the Oswald’s know and two of my agents know.  Gerry Hemming and David Ferrie flew him to Cuba.”

“But I thought they were CIA?”

“Well in a manner of speaking they were, but I approached them and they agreed to help.  There is one other who knows.”

“Who?”

“David Lewis.  He managed to witness the Kennedy autopsy which caused people to panic.  You see in order to sell the idea that Oswald acted alone Kennedy could not be seen to have any bullet holes in the front of his head.  Which we both know he did, I don’t know if you noticed but Officer Tippit bore a striking resemblance to Kennedy and that is why he was killed.  The bodies were switched, they didn’t look exactly alike but they didn’t need to this was supposed to be a dead President Kennedy who had been shot in the head.  So we had to get David out of there or the CIA would have killed him.  He was taken to an airfield and put on the same plane that Ferrie and Hemming used to get Oswald out of the country.  They then landed on the outskirts of Dallas.  Oswald took David into the woods and pretended to shoot him.  I couldn’t trust Hemming and Ferrie not to report to their superiors at the CIA that David was alive.  Oswald was in possession of everything I knew regarding the assassination.  This included recordings that prove Rockefeller instructed Johnson to arrange the hit.  I have enough information to bring down anyone involved.  He gave them to David who arrived back in Washington this morning.  After Oswald let him go he was picked up by another FBI agent.  As far as I know he has already spoken with Bobby Kennedy.  They have proof of everything, they have Nancy’s film, my files and David managed to get pictures of the autopsy.  The men behind the curtain are about to be exposed.”