To Kill a President (6 page)

He sat in his car for a moment, the car park was deserted.  Tourist season had come and gone and the sky was overcast.  The rain was spitting onto the windscreen of the car.  Faraday stepped out and immediately regretted his choice of attire.  His slim fit black suit offered little protection from the beginning of a Scottish winter.  His mother had trimmed his hair when he had first been released from the hospital, it was not as long as it had been during his previous visits to Inverness but it still sprouted out in every possible direction.  He had gotten a new pair of glasses after losing the last pair but they still had the same black rims, he felt they suited his face.  His stubble had grown into a thick brown beard, since Jane had died he found it hard enough to find the motivation to shower let alone shave.

He walked towards the Loch, trying not to look directly at it.  It was after his last visit with Jane’s mother that Faraday had taken the overdose.  Eighty three paracetamol’s and one stomach pump later he had found himself locked away for “observation”.  He decided not to tell Jane’s mother that he was planning to propose to Jane, he didn’t want to upset her anymore than she already was.  As he walked he could feel the ring on the chain around his neck thumping on his chest in time with his heartbeat.

It brought to mind the one thing that had troubled him over any other.  Even Jane’s death and the odd visitors not to mention the time he had spent locked away from the outside world had confused him as much as this recurring thought.  How the hell am I still standing?  By all rights I should probably have drowned with Jane.  I lay unconscious beside the Loch for hours in the pouring rain and escaped even the sniffles.  I took eighty three paracetamol’s and woke up drowsy but other than that unharmed.  I sprayed my clothes with a flammable substance and set myself alight and the only mark on me is a small scar on my wrist.  Worse than all of that I had my heart broken on what should have been the happiest day of my life and lost the only person outside of my family that I ever loved and the only person that had loved me.  Why do we not die when our heart is broken?

He made his way towards the bench that had been placed by the Loch. It was the closest thing to a grave she had.  As he walked over to the bench it dawned on him that he had not thought to bring flowers.  He consoled himself with the fact that whenever he had bought Jane flowers or on the odd occasion a potted plant that she seemed to forget as much as she loved them that they needed water and sunlight to survive.  He chuckled at the memory.  He missed her so much.  He took the ring from under his shirt and kissed it. It was all he had left of her, even though she had never had it or even said yes it brought him a degree of comfort.  It was like she was always with him and she always would be no matter how short his life may be and given his current intentions it would probably be pretty short. He would never forget her.  She had been the love of his life.  He had to cough to fight the lump that was forming in his throat.

He remembered what the doctor had said. “Distraction can be a wonderful thing”.   With that in mind he put the ring back under his shirt and took his cigarettes from his pocket along with his lighter.  He still felt a small sense of victory that he had gotten his lighter back, it had been very annoying having to wait for another patient to be in the smoking room so that he could ask for a lighter.  As he lit the cigarette he inhaled deeply.  He knew that Jane would not approve of him smoking again, he had quit for a year before the accident.  She had been so proud of him.

He looked at the small silver plaque that displayed the name “Jane Stuart” underneath that it said “1991 – 2014” and below that the words read “Always in our hearts”.  He felt the tears beginning to bubble up and looked down at the pebbles around the bench. He felt the anger rise up inside him as he saw an empty bottle of Buckfast.

“Fucking Scotland!” He yelled.

Would people drink on a grave?  He sat on the bench and realised he was a hypocrite, he pulled out his hip flask from the inside pocket of his suit.  It too was engraved, Jane had given it to him on the day he had graduated.  He had filled it with Bell’s whisky and took a quick nip.  He inhaled his cigarette once again and then had another nip.  He wasn’t intending on driving home.

As much as he fought it the hurt took over and he let out a scream.

“AAAAAARRRRRGH!  FUCK YOU GOD!” He swung his leg and kicked the pebbles in front of him, scuffing his black shoe and hurting his toe on something.

“What the hell is that?”

Faraday rose from the bench and walked towards the silver object that had been buried under the stones.  As he picked it up he recognized it immediately. It was a short two inch black rod at the top of which was the silver face of an eagle that glared at him.

Chapter 11

As Bobby hobbled towards Dealey Plaza he saw the light extinguish in the sky.  His left hip felt like it was on fire.  “Son of a bitch.” He muttered.

As he entered Dealey Plaza he admired the beauty of the area, he found it hard to believe that such a tragedy could have occurred here.  He gazed up towards the top of the red bricked building to the Hertz Rental sign the time read 06:23.  He made his way slowly towards the triple bypass and the grassy knoll.

He saw a man walk slowly down the steps by the fence onto Elm Street. He seemed distressed.

“Hey!”  Bobby yelled trying to catch the man’s attention.  The man stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face Bobby and then ran towards him.

“Sir you need to help me!”  The man spoke with a Scottish accent.  The man was soaking wet and wearing a tight fitting black suit he wore dark rimmed glasses and had brown hair that was sticking to his face. He had a beard that was dripping water onto the ground in front of him.

“What’s wrong?” Bobby asked.

“I eh I’m not sure what’s going on.” The man stuttered as he spoke, he was clearly finding it hard to comprehend what was happening around him.

“I was in the water.....”

“What in the pool?” Bobby replied pointing towards the pool that sat in between Main Street and Elm Street.”

“Where am I?”

“This is Dealey Plaza, you’re in Dallas, Texas.  Follow me I think I know who you’re looking for, my name is Bobby Stinson by the way.”

“....Thanks I’m eh James Faraday.”  

With that Bobby knew his hunch was correct, he was here for the girl she had said Faraday.  The two men began walking along Elm Street back to the condo as fast as Bobby’s hip would allow. They had been walking in silence for two or three minutes when Faraday spoke.

”What happened to your leg?

Bobby thought about how best to respond.  “I made a mistake.”

Since Bobby did not elaborate Faraday left it at that.  As they arrived at 1505 Elm Street Bobby nodded towards the man behind the desk.

“How are you Kevin?”

“Oh Mr Stinson I’m very well how are you?  Have you got a visitor?”

“Yes, an old friend.  He fell in the pool.”

Kevin was laughing as Faraday and Bobby entered the lift and rode up to the twelfth floor.  As they entered the condo into a large hallway, Faraday saw a man emerge into the hall and close the furthest away door to the right behind him.  The man said nothing. He just stared straight at Faraday.  The man looked around thirty he was clean shaven and had brown hair that was in a neat side parting.  He looked around six feet tall and he was staring aggressively with his light brown eyes.

The silence was broken as the man spoke. “What did you do to her?”

Faraday looked towards Bobby who seemed as confused as he was.

“What? Who?”

“I said what did you do to her you son of a bitch!” 

“David calm down.”  Bobby interjected.

“He tried to kill her Bobby!”  Bobby’s face changed as he looked towards Faraday almost accusingly.  David ran towards Faraday and swung his right fist at Faraday’s face.

Faraday howled in pain as his glasses snapped.  Another punch connected that broke Faraday’s nose.  He fell to the floor the blood gushing from his nose was covering the cream carpet beneath him.

“David!  Calm down!” Bobby tried once again.  As he did so he tried to force himself between David and Faraday, David pushed Bobby and aimed a kick at Faraday’s face.  As Bobby’s hip gave way it was his turn to howl in pain.

Hearing Bobby’s pain David ignored the unconscious Faraday and tried to help Bobby to his feet.  “I’m sorry Bobby.” 

“No fuck you David. What the fuck has gotten into you?”  Bobby yelled as he struggled to his feet.

“He tried to kill the girl!”

“Did she tell you that?”

“She didn’t need to Bobby.  Come and have a look for yourself!  That gash on her forehead as I was cleaning it up I figured out what had happened.”

“What?  How do you mean?”  Bobby asked exasperated.

“Someone hit her.  They hit her with something heavy and blunt and dumped her in a lake.”

“How the hell do you figure that?”

“There was no salt on her body!  So it was obviously a fresh water lake.  Probably an ex-boyfriend hit her and then had to get rid of the body.”

Bobby could not believe what he was hearing.  “So you attacked that poor guy on a hunch?”

“Come and see for yourself.”

Bobby followed David into his bedroom.  David walked around to the right and side whilst Bobby hobbled to her left.  As they looked down on her it was clear she was dead.

“Jesus Christ David!”

“Oh my God.....”  David stuttered.

The girl had choked on her own vomit.

Chapter 12

As David thought back to that day his feeling of guilt threatened to overcome him.  He again stared at the old man that he had become, all those mistakes he had made.

He pulled once more on his cigarette, he had smoked it down to the filter.  He dropped it into the sink in front of him and took the last gulp of his Old Fashioned.

He turned and went into the cubicle where his suit jacket hung.  He locked the door and pulled the steak knife from his jacket pocket.  He was crying now.  Bobby was right, what could Faraday do to stop Jane dying?  He had never given him the chance to explain himself until it had been too late.  Even then why would Faraday confide in them about a visit they had paid him.  He had despised them both, particularly David.  Even after the girl was gone he had beaten Faraday badly, trying to convince himself that her death was someone else’s fault, anyone would do.

They had left Faraday alone in the condo.  It must have been around two weeks later.  They hadn’t trusted him until after the first week.  Only then did they tell him what had happened to Jane.  Bobby had arrived home first to find that Faraday had found the Smith and Wesson revolver in his top drawer.  He had found Faraday with a bullet in his head lying across Jane’s body which still lay on Bobby’s bed.  They hadn’t known what to do with her.

His thoughts once again turned to Sharon, he and Bobby had essentially killed her, not to mention Kenny and Barbara.  He had caused himself to be transported through time.  Bobby was right.

“God forgive me.” David whimpered.  He used the steak knife to cut his wrists.  Once he had bled out his tears stopped.  After two minutes the motion sensor turned off the lights and he was left in darkness.

Chapter 13

Bobby didn’t know why he had chosen to drive to Loch Ness. It had just felt right he needed time to think.  He needed some distance from David, fucking idiot that he was.  Who was he to say Bobby hadn’t cared about anyone but himself?  If it hadn’t been for Bobby he would probably have been sent to the electric chair.

If it hadn’t been for Bobby, David would never have had his career.  David may have frowned upon the company he kept but when he needed help he was more than happy to use Bobby’s contacts.  The son of a bitch.

If David hadn’t attacked Faraday, Jane might still be alive. 

It wasn’t just David, if Faraday hadn’t shown up there would have been no need to ask Meyer to help them.  That had fucked up a thirty year friendship, thirty years of building up trust was knocked down in one day.  He had been alone for so long, Meyer was like family and those three idiots had destroyed that bond.  He would never have had to become involved with Oswald.  He knew now, that had been his punishment. Walking an innocent man to his death and giving Ruby the tip off.  It had cost him Nancy, the only woman he had ever loved.