Bobby leant against the wall and struggled to light a cigarette, his hand was shaking so much that he could barely use the lighter. Once he had his cigarette lit he took a deep pull. What the fuck am I doing? He exhaled and took another long pull. This is way too big for us to change, if I couldn’t save Lincoln what chance have I got with Kennedy. The FBI and the Dallas Police Department are in on the plot, not to mention the mob. He took another draw on his cigarette and he could feel his heart slowing and his hand stopped shaking quite so violently. What the hell is the deal with Alek James Hidell? So there is one guy already using the name Hidell and now there will be a second. Who the hell is Carlos, what was he doing in Bannister’s office? This is way too much. Bobby flicked his cigarette to the kerb and began hobbling up the stairs to the Carousel Club.
As he reached the top of the stairs he could feel his hip gnawing away at him, he had done too much today. Just one last job and then tomorrow is a day off, that’s for damn sure. He began hobbling towards the bar and noticed Faraday talking to the barman at the left hand side of the bar, in the middle of the bar he noticed a group of three men, two were facing the far wall and the third was on the other side of the bar, Bobby recognized him immediately as Jack Ruby.
He hobbled over to the three men. It was Ruby that noticed him heading towards them first. “Andy will serve you down the other side of the bar.” Ruby said.
“I believe it’s you I’m looking for, you Jack Ruby?” Bobby asked.
The two men that had previously had their backs to him turned in unison, he recognised one of them immediately as Lee Harvey Oswald, the other man also looked familiar but Bobby could not place him, he was a big man with brown hair and a receding hairline.
“Oh yeah? And who would you be?” Ruby responded.
“I’m a friend of Chauncey’s did he tell you I was coming?” Bobby asked.
“He did, its Bobby right, Bobby Stinson?” Ruby asked.
“That’s me.” Bobby stated.
“You’re the lawyer right?” Ruby asked.
“Yeah.”
“Great come on back into the office where we can talk, Lee you want to come back too?”
“Okay.” Oswald said hesitating slightly.
“Okay we’ll be back in a minute Tippit.” That was when Bobby realised the man was Officer Tippit the man who was gunned down whilst trying to apprehend Lee Harvey Oswald after Kennedy was assassinated. What the hell were these three men who each killed one another doing sitting together in Ruby’s bar.
Ruby led the way behind the bar and along to the right, he opened one door and the three men entered a small hall way. He pulled a key from his trouser pocket and unlocked the next door. The three men went into the office. In the middle of the room was a large black desk. On the other side of the desk was a red leather swivel chair. The side closest to the door also had two red leather chairs, these were on wooden legs. “Okay guys take a seat.” Ruby said as he walked over and sat on the swivel chair. Bobby and Oswald both sat down.
“So did Chauncey give you the card?”
Bobby pulled an envelope from his pocket containing the Hidell ID and sat it on the desk. Ruby picked it up and tore open the envelope before removing the card.
“Okay Lee, Alek James Hidell that’s the name you wanted right?”
“Yeah Jack that’s right.” Oswald agreed.
“I tell you that Chauncey is a talented man, the damn thing looks real. Here you go Lee.” Ruby handed the card over to Oswald. “Okay you can go back and join Tippit now I want to have a quick word with Bobby here.” Oswald got up and shuffled awkwardly from the room.
“Did they tell you what the ID is for?” Ruby asked.
Bobby shook his head. “Did they tell you?”
“No I have no idea, strange right what is the guy doing ordering a fake ID?” Ruby asked.
“Sorry I don’t understand Jack, why is that strange?”
“Well did Chauncey tell you about the other ID from the start of the year?”
“Yeah he mentioned it.”
“Well there you go why are two people going about with the same name? Just strange, I mean the guy in general is strange, did you know he defected to the Soviet Union and then he just waltzed back into the country with a Russian wife and their love child? I mean that’s weird right? Normal people can’t do that can they?”
“So what do you not know the guy?”
“No well I do kind of but I was just asked to keep an eye on him.” Ruby stated.
“Asked by whom?” Bobby asked.
“What you mean you don’t know about any of this? I thought you were Meyer’s right hand man?” Ruby asked.
It was then that Bobby remembered something Wray Gill had mentioned on the phone, when Bobby had asked about Ruby he had mentioned Jimmy Hoffa.
“Was it Jimmy Hoffa?”
Ruby nodded. “That’s right he asked me to keep this guy Oswald out of trouble. Apparently he had been arrested back in New Orleans and Hoffa wanted to make sure he didn’t end up in jail.”
“Any idea why?” Bobby asked.
“Well no not really I was hoping you might know, I mean you’re the one having him followed.” Ruby stated.
Bobby was taken aback. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh come on, earlier tonight I see that scumbag Derrick Stinson sitting outside Oswald’s place, then he pulls up right outside the club. The same night you walk into the bar to give me Oswald’s fake ID. I’ve not met many Stinson’s in my time Bobby. Only you and him. What’s going on?”
Bobby was desperately trying to think of a logical reason for having Oswald followed, but none was forthcoming. Luckily they were interrupted by screaming coming from the bar. “What the hell is going on out there? Come on!” Ruby grunted.
As Ruby and Bobby walked back out to the bar, Ruby locked his office door quickly. When they arrived back in the main bar Bobby immediately saw that the screams were coming from around where Faraday had been stood, two men neither of whom were Faraday were fighting.
Chapter 27
As Jane sat silently at the table, David could tell she was worried about Faraday. She hadn’t spoken a word since they had left. She had just carried on drinking. David decided that after almost an hour of silence it was time to say something.
“He’s going to be okay Jane. He’s with Bobby he wouldn’t let anything happen.”
“But that’s just it. Sure Bobby will be there but then he’ll leave and Faraday will be on his own, he’s not like Bobby he has never even been in a fight as far as I know. Now he’s following a gangster, the man who shot Lee Harvey Oswald. What if Ruby spots him?” Jane replied, sounding frantic.
“Jane it will be fine, he’s stronger than you know, I mean he came all this way to get you. A weak man could not have done that. Maybe he’s not strong like a fighter, but he has a strong heart. I’ve only known him two days and I can tell that, he wouldn’t give up on you and just as well he didn’t!” David replied.
“I know that but how will that help him tonight?” Jane responded.
“Do you really think that he would let anything stop him from getting back to you again?” David responded.
Jane considered this for a moment and began to feel slightly better. “I suppose you’re right.”
“I know I’m right.” David replied. He poured them both another Jack Daniels. As he was doing so he heard a frantic knock at the door. “What the hell is that?” David yelled. “Jane come with me.” David was visibly frightened.
“Who do you think it is?” Jane asked.
“I have no idea, but it’s not Bobby and I doubt its Faraday.” They both walked from the living room into the hallway. “Go into my room and hide under the bed.” Jane did as she was told. Once she had gotten underneath the bed David closed his bedroom door. The banging on the door started again. David walked towards the door and opened it slowly. When he saw Nancy staring back at him he was relieved.
“Nanc
y what are you doing here? You scared the shit out of me.” David opened the door wider and noticed a man with a gun standing beside her. “Who are you?” David yelled.
“It’s Derrick, David! Move and let us in.” Nancy also sounded slightly flustered.
As Nancy and Derrick walked past him into the house, he noticed that in Derrick’s left hand was a leather bag.
“Jane it’s okay you can come out now.” David yelled. Almost instantly his bedroom door opened. She had been listening with her ear pressed against the door. “Jane this is Nancy, Bobby’s secretary and her boyfriend Derrick.”
“Hi.” Jane said.
“David who is this?” Nancy asked
“What are you doing here Nancy?”
Derrick interjected “Bobby sent us.”
“Why?” David asked.
“Maybe we should go and sit down David.” Nancy suggested.
Nancy walked into the living room Derrick and Jane followed closely behind. Derrick called back “David, Bobby told me to tell you to get his gun from the top drawer in his room.” David didn’t even think, he just ran into Bobby’s room grabbed the box of bullets and the gun from the top drawer and then made his way back to the living room. As he entered he saw that Nancy, Jane and Derrick were sitting at the table. He sat down between Jane and Nancy.
“What happened?” Jane asked.
“No first who are you?” Nancy replied.
“This is Jane, she and her boyfriend are staying with us for a while.” David replied.
“Where are they staying, this is a two bedroom condo?”
“They are using my room. I’ve been sleeping on the couch.”
“Why are they here?” Nancy asked.
“They are new to the area, old friends of the family.” David lied.
“What the hell are you doing getting involved in some plot to kill the president?”
David was shell shocked. “How do you know about that?”
“Bobby had Derrick following some guy what was his name?”
“Lee Harvey Oswald.” Derrick stated.
“Yes and then Jack Ruby shows up at this Oswald mans house and drives him to the Carousel Club.” Nancy continued.
“They were together!” Jane exclaimed.
“Yes, but Bobby didn’t freak out until I told him some other guy was following Oswald and saw me. What is going on here?” Derrick stated again.
Jane looked at David, who seemed to be thinking hard about what to say. Jane answered first.
“So what happened to Faraday and Bobby?”
“Well I didn’t meet any other guy is that your boyfriend?” Derrick asked.
“We just got engaged.”
“Well I don’t know. I didn’t see any other guy but Bobby was pretty freaked he was shaking, then he just told me not to tell Nancy and get her over here, he said safety in numbers.”
“He’s probably right.” David agreed. “So did Bobby go into the bar?”
“I don’t know I guess so, he was headed in that direction.”
“So what do we do now, maybe we should go over there?” Jane suggested.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Bobby was terrified he said just stay here.”
“So what do we do then?” Jane asked again.
“We wait.” David answered.
Chapter 28
As Faraday noticed Bobby heading towards Ruby he went back to the left hand side of the bar with Andy. “So Andy the camera, that’s a pretty cool idea.” He enthused.
“Yeah man it’s a lot of fun, oh God here she comes again.” Andy gestured to a blonde woman walking towards them she was wearing a gold glittery dress.
“You know Bev you work next door, really no need for you to be here every night.”
“Don’t be rude Andy, who’s your friend?” She gestured to Faraday as she spoke.
“This is our new barman all the way from Scotland, James Faraday, James this is Beverley Oliver she works at that dive bar the Colony Club.”
Faraday did not hear the introduction, as Beverly had walked towards them a gap had appeared in the smoke and he could see two men standing by the pole dancer staring directly at Bobby, Oswald, Ruby and the other guy. He looked over and saw Bobby, Ruby and Oswald leave the bar through a door. He looked over towards the men and saw that they had moved to watch them. One of the men was around Faraday’s age with a broad chest and huge arms and the other was perhaps in his forties he was short, fat and bald. “Andy give me the camera!”
“What?”
“Seriously please I need the camera.”
Andy looked worried and handed the camera to Faraday. He pointed the camera at the two men as the small fat man pointed towards him. Faraday took the shot, it was perfect. The small man headed for the exit but the big guy was headed straight for him. “Shit Andy take the camera and don’t give him the photo.” Andy took the camera from Faraday as the picture began to pour out. The man looked furious. “What the hell are you doing?” He yelled.
Faraday was terrified he had never been in a fight in his life. “Sorry what?”
“Don’t talk shit where is the picture?”
“What picture?”
The man sighed and punched Faraday in the jaw. As the punch connected a tooth flew out of Faraday’s mouth, he was conscious but just barely. As he hit the ground he could here Beverly screaming. He looked up and saw that the man who had previously been sat with Ruby was now squaring up to the guy that hit him. That looked like a much fairer fight.
“He took my picture! All I want is the picture.”
“I don’t give a shit what you want get the fuck out.”
The man that hit him now swung another punch, but Ruby’s friend dodged the punch and kneed him in the stomach. He then forced the man to bend forwards over the bar.
“You just swung a punch at a cop fuck head!”
“Tippit what the fuck is going on?” Ruby demanded.
“This twat just knocked out your new barman then took a swing at me.”
Faraday managed to force himself onto his feet and leaned on the bar beside his attacker.
“I’m okay.” He managed whilst spluttering blood onto the counter. As he looked towards Ruby he saw Bobby standing behind him with his jaw agape.
“What the fuck are you doing attacking my staff!” Ruby demanded.
“He took my picture!”
“Yeah well we do that here so go fuck yourself. What’s your name?!”
Bobby noticed the man glance at Oswald who was sitting watching the commotion from the same barstool he had been sat in when Bobby entered the bar. He then answered “Gerry Hemming.”
“Okay then Gerry I suggest you get the fuck out my club and don’t come back.”
Tippit let the man go. Gerry straightened himself up and stared at Ruby. “I’m not fucking leaving until I get my picture back!”
“You really are a fucking idiot.” Tippit stated.
“I’ll give you one last chance to walk out of here that’s the easy way, or we can go the other way and the only person that’s going to be hard on is you.” Ruby said.
The man stared at Ruby and then Tippet “Fine” he gave Faraday one last stare and then headed out of the club.
As the man left the club Ruby turned towards Bobby. “Shall we go and finish that little chat?” Bobby thought for a moment before replying. “I actually really must be getting back, I’ll pop in during the week when I’ve got more time.” Ruby looked annoyed but said “Sure no worries.” Bobby limped off after the man that had just left.
Ruby turned back towards Andy, Tippit and Faraday. “Listen kid in future just ask before you take any pictures some guys are strange like that okay?”
Faraday nodded. Ruby went back towards Oswald as did Tippit.
“What the hell was that about?” Andy asked.
Luckily Faraday had had time to think whilst he was lying on the ground. “He was dealing drugs when I looked over, they noticed me and the buyer
scampered. I just didn’t want any trouble for Mr Ruby.”
“You know Faraday you’re a good kid but you don’t need to worry about trouble here, as you can see a lot of the customers are cops. That’s why we don’t need bouncers. Here’s your picture.”
“Thanks Andy, I’ll think of my tooth every time I see it.”
Andy laughed. “You know I think we’ll have fun working together.”
“Yeah me too!” Faraday replied and he meant it. “What time should I be here on Monday?”
“Well get here around four and I can show you around.”
“Okay I’ll see you then.”
“Wait before you go if that guy gives you any trouble just call and someone will come sort him out.” Andy handed Faraday a card for the Carousel Club. “Thanks Andy I’ll see you Monday.”
Chapter 29
“What the hell were you thinking?” Bobby screamed. Faraday had walked out the bar and found the street empty, he had started walking back the way they had come when Bobby appeared from an alleyway.
“What do you mean?” Faraday asked as he continued walking.
“Wait I went to a payphone and called the condo, Derrick is coming for us in his car.”
“Derrick is at the condo?” Faraday put his hand towards his mouth as he spoke it was aching.
“Seriously out of everything that has happened tonight that is not what we are discussing.”
Faraday was silent. He didn’t know what to say. “Do you want a smoke?” Bobby asked pulling out his packet of cigarettes. Faraday took one “Thanks.” Bobby lit his first then held up the lighter to light Faraday’s. As he took a drag his jaw ached once more.
It was around five minutes later that Derrick pulled up, Faraday sat in the back seat and Bobby in the front. Once Derrick had been driving for a few minutes he broke the awkward silence.
“So what happened?”
“Just drive Derrick, its best if we talk about things with everyone it will save a lot of time answering questions.” Bobby replied.
To Kill a President Page 10
