To Kill a President (7 page)

He often wondered about who had given the order, he knew it was the mob but it certainly wasn’t Meyer Lansky, he was a business man not a criminal.  He had been a terrific friend. He had given Bobby the luxury condo, the education, the money and Nancy.

As he sat by the Loch the chill in the air did not bother him.  He had needed a good drink after hearing about David’s demise on the radio.  He had never been to Scotland before so when he went for the Jack Daniels he also thought he would try out Buckfast.  He had finished the bourbon in the car so all he had now was the rancid tasting tonic wine.  Poor David he thought, Kennedy’s death had really taken its toll on him. Bobby had always thought that even more than his role in Sharon’s death he had felt particularly guilty at allowing himself to be used by the mob.  David had turned out to be instrumental to their plan. He had access to both Governor Connaly and JFK whilst they had been at Parkland Hospital.  It had been David that had planted the so called “magic bullet” on Connally’s stretcher.  Bobby still after all these years could not fathom how anyone could be convinced by the magic bullet theory.  How could one bullet possibly have pierced the presidents back, changed direction risen through his chest, then exit through his neck before entering Connally’s back, piercing a lung, breaking a rib exiting his chest going through his right arm where it broke another bone and then ended up in his left thigh.  It was impossible.  Best of all it had ended up in perfect condition lying on a hospital stretcher.  Bobby could not help but be amused at what his former friends had achieved.  He just wished he hadn’t been involved.

He finished the Buckfast and he dropped it onto the ground and lit a cigarette, as he inhaled deeply his thoughts turned to when he had finally made himself a home.  After he had entered the wormhole he had found himself in 1865.  He had been so alone, never staying in one place for too long.  As the years had passed his body showed no signs of age.  But there were many times he had wished he could grow old and die. He could be with his grandmother once more, but she hadn’t even been born yet.  He had had to wait until 1920 before he found himself a new family.  He had met Lansky on the lower east side of Manhattan, shortly thereafter he had been introduced to Bugsy Seigal and Charles Luciano.  Those three men had changed the landscape of America.  It hadn’t been until 1931 that Bobby had had to get his hands dirty.  He had murdered a man.

Bobby felt no guilt for the murder.  He had done his bit for history and it had left him with a knife in his hip and a limp for the rest of his life.  He had long ago realised that the past could not be changed and the way he saw it the man had it coming, whether he was involved or not it was inevitable.  It was Meyer Lansky that had asked him to do the hit on behalf of Luciano.  They had reasoned that with the cane and the bad limp the man would never have considered Bobby a threat, one nights work would set Bobby up for life. Lansky had guaranteed that.

The man in question was Salvatore Maranzano. He like so many other men was the cause of his own demise.  He had embarked on a war against Joe Masseria, it had later became known as the Castellammarese War.  Maranzano had been successful in his war. Masseria was gunned down in his favourite restaurant.  He had been dining and playing cards with Luciano. When Luciano went to the bathroom, Bugsy Siegal, Vito Genovese, Albert Anastasia and Joe Adonis entered the restaurant and killed Masseria.   

Maranzano had then become the most powerful mob boss in New York, he declared himself “Boss of Bosses”.  Luciano had found out that Maranzano was planning to murder him, he did not appreciate the company he kept particularly Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegal as they were Jewish.  Luciano needed to act quickly and that was where Bobby came in to the plan.  He was sent as a peace maker, it was well known that Bobby was not the killing type and with the cane he posed little threat.  However when Bobby arrived in Maranzano’s office he became a demon, he shot Maranzano in the chest and then he stabbed him to death.

After that night Bobby’s life had changed.  He had gone to Lansky’s home and was presented with a new cane that had a solid silver head of an eagle at the top.  Lansky, Luciano and Siegal had always treated Bobby like an equal from that night forward.  He had an important decision to make should he stay in a life of crime or use his contacts and financial power to build himself a good honest life.  It hadn’t really been a hard choice with his limp people would see him as an easy target and mobsters don’t tend to live too long. It was then that he had decided to study law.  Better still after he had qualified he had a readymade client list.

He had decided to move home to Dallas in 1945, he had managed to stay out of both world wars due to his disability.  He had to admit it had its benefits.  In 1946 he had once again been part of mob history attending the famous meeting of the entire criminal underworld of America. The meeting took place in Havana at the Hotel Nacional.  That was the first time he had met Frank Sinatra.  The next day whilst sitting on Lansky’s balcony he had heard the words that Lansky had been famous for saying. “We’re bigger than U.S Steel”.  This line was later used in the second Godfather film, Bobby had always though Lansky would have enjoyed that.

As good as life was it was not until 1955 that Bobby had become truly happy. After waiting for ninety years he finally had his grandmother, Nancy back in his life.  He had employed her as a secretary at his office in Dallas.  As it had turned out he had ended up buying her the house he had grown up in.  She had always known that Bobby was well connected with the mob, but after Kennedy it was all over, he had never seen her again.

As he thought about his grandmother he became angry about how his life had been ruined because of Faraday and the girl.  He took another pull on his cigarette and that’s when he realised he was sitting on a bench dedicated to one of the people responsible, Jane Stuart.  In his drunken rage he stumbled to his feet throwing his cigarette away and began beating the bench with his cane.  After the third hit his cane snapped in two.

“Son of a bi.....”  He was interrupted by the flash of light, it was coming from the Loch.  It was back.  But why?  Surely Faraday was still in hospital.  Was it meant for him?  Maybe it was a sign, maybe he could go back and change things.  Maybe he could save Jane and by doing so get his life back.  But how could that be, surely there would then be two of him.  He had certainly never met himself, whatever happened happened, that was the way it was.  How could he be sure he would arrive back in Dallas?  He could arrive anywhere and at anytime, it might even kill him.  But what else was there, he had no one, nothing to stay for surely it was worth a try.

He dropped his mangled cane and stumbled towards the Loch, the drink kept the cold out.  As he struggled towards the light he suddenly became hopeful, he could get his friends back Nancy, Lansky even David.  He took a deep breath and went under the surface. He could see the light it was directly below him.  As he swam downwards he could see it shining brighter, he was going home.  He could almost see his old condo and his friends.  It was almost within touching distance when the light went out.

Bobby returned to the surface and took a much needed breath. 

“Son of a bitch!” It was then that Bobby realised how far away the shore was.  The drink seemed to wear off and the pain returned to his hip.  He tried to make his way towards dry land but his hip was not having it.  He would have made it back had it not been for that bastard with the knife!  He struggled in the water but began to sink below the surface.

It was half an hour later when a man walking his dog found Bobby, he was already dead.

Chapter 14

Faraday could hardly believe his eyes.  He was not sure why he was so surprised, this was where Bobby had died after all.  But what did it all mean? What had the doctor been talking about?  How could he fix things?  It was then that he first had the thought, Jane was alive!  He knew it! All he had to do was follow the light.  But there was no light.  The Loch was dark.  It would be crazy to swim out and hope it appeared as it had in the dream.

He pulled the chain out from under his shirt and looked at the ring, he still didn’t have his “yes” and he needed that “yes”.  He removed his glasses and put them into his inside jacket pocket.  He kissed the ring for luck and dove into the water still firmly gripping the tip of Bobby’s cane.  He had been swimming for only a couple of minutes, when the light appeared.  He was getting her back!  He swam towards it and prayed something would happen.  As he touched the light he felt like he was being sucked through a plug hole, it was as though he was about to explode.

When he could breathe again he was lying in dirt.  He pulled out his glasses but before he could put them on he began to feel queasy.  Once he had thrown up, he rose to his feet and put his glasses on.  To his right he could see a train track and to his left a picket fence.  He knew where he was, this was the grassy knoll.  He hopped the fence and went down the steps to the road side.  What the hell had just happened?  Dealey Plaza was deserted.  He knew the area from the book, it was picturesque. Dealey Plaza consists of three roads all separated by grass, looking from beside the knoll he could see the School Book Depository at the corner of the street on which he stood. He could recognise that red bricked building and the iconic Hertz rental sign at the top.  He was currently on Elm Street, separated by a patch of grass and a small pool was Main Street and then separated by another patch of grass was Commerce Street.  Behind him was the triple underpass, as he turned towards it a train was passing.  He turned back towards the depository and he saw a man struggling towards him, he immediately recognized the figure as Bobby.

He sprinted towards him and met him outside the depository.

“Where is she Bobby?”

Bobby was stunned, who the hell was this man?

“How do you...” Bobby was interrupted by Faraday holding up the eagles head.

“Who are you?”

“No Bobby where is she?  Then we can talk.”

Bobby had never found words hard to come by, but he was completely at a loss for them now.  He eventually managed.

“I’ll take you to her, but she isn’t well.”

“What?!”

“Well she just got here dripping wet, like you only I don’t think she was breathing.”

“She wasn’t breathing?”  Faraday’s heart sunk.

“She is now, my friend saved her life but she didn’t look good.”

“Take me to her!”

When they arrived at the condo, Faraday was taken aback by the man staring right into his eyes almost daring him to say the wrong thing.  He recognised the man immediately as Dr David Lewis, he had expected an old man, and he was presented a young well built man, he looked furious.

“Hello David, where is she?”

“She’s safe, she’s away from you!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You tried to kill her!”

Faraday had no idea what the man was talking about.  Before he could come up with a retort Bobby interjected.

“David, shut the fuck up and let him through!”

David was stunned but did as he was told.  As they entered the room Faraday ran towards her and embraced her.

“Jane, thank God.”  Jane did not reply she was out cold and she had a wound on her forehead that had been stitched up.  “What’s wrong with her?”

David looked annoyed and again Bobby interjected.

”Tell him David, Faraday show him.”

As Faraday held up the eagle David’s face changed from one of aggression to confusion.

“How did you get that?”

“No doctor, I answered your questions last time we met, now I want the answers!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Just tell him David.”

As Faraday glanced at Bobby he nodded in appreciation and realised how much nicer he was than on their previous meeting. He also looked in great shape the belly was gone and his attire was one of a business man.

“I think she’ll be fine.  She wasn’t breathing when I reached her but I brought her round she was throwing up and then she lost consciousness. She was soaking wet so I’ve dried her off.  I think it will just be a case of watching over her, if she develops any signs of hypothermia we can take her to the hospital.  But it’s probably just side effects of the wormhole.”

As they all looked towards Jane she began to cough up more sick, David rushed to her aid and turned her onto her side.  David seemed like the same man he had met in the hospital now.  “Can I ask what happened to her? Why was she so wet and how did she get the cut?”

Faraday decided that this was a question he could answer.  “We were on a canoe which flipped over. When I found her she was unconscious, I tried to save her.” Faraday began choking up “But I couldn’t, I thought she was dead until about half an hour ago.”

Bobby was the first to ask “You thought she was dead?  When was this?”

Faraday’s eyes were wet “Months ago”.

“Months ago? Then how did you get here within five minutes of each other? You’re soaking wet too.”  David glanced towards Bobby who offered a shrug and then answered.