He gave the President a curt nod, and had started for the nearest door when he heard the President call out his name. He halted at the door and looked over his shoulder.
President Wadsworth was plainly distressed.
‘Chris,’ he said, ‘before you do anything you’ll regret later, think twice about it.’ He shifted uneasily in his executive chair. ‘This is a critical period - for us, for the country. This is no time to rock the boat.’
‘I’m getting off the boat, Mr President. I’ll sink or swim on my own. Good day.’
With that, he left the Oval Office.
*
President Wadsworth stared at the door a long time after Collins had departed. Finally, he reached for his telephone. He buzzed for his personal secretary.
‘Miss Ledger? Call Director Tynan at the FBI. Tell him I want to see him alone, as soon as possible.’
*
Chris Collins’ first task, upon returning to his office, was to telephone his wife.
Until this morning, he had not kept Karen abreast of all the events that had been taking place in his life during recent weeks. Now and then, since the night he had learned of The R Document, he had told her some of the happenings. But this morning, after viewing the television news reports on the Maynards’ murder, and after Donald Radenbaugh had finally returned to his hotel, Collins had gone through the kitchen and sat with Karen in the small dinette and filled her in on everything.
Karen had been aghast. ‘What are you going to do, Chris?’
‘I’m going to see the President as soon as I can. I’m going to lay it all out before him. I’m going to ask him to fire Tynan.’
Karen had immediately been apprehensive. ‘Don’t you think that’s dangerous?’
‘Not if the President agrees with me.’
He had been confident, even as he left Karen for the office, that President Wadsworth would agree with him.
Now, four hours later, he knew that he had never been more wrong in his judgment.
Karen answered the phone. Her voice was edgy. ‘What happened, Chris?’
‘The President did not agree with me.’
He heard her groan of disbelief. ‘But how couldn’t he?’
‘He said I had no proof of anything. He made me sound like a paranoidal idiot. He sided with Tynan right down the line.’
‘That’s terrible. What are you going to do?’
‘I’m going to resign, and I told him so. I thought I’d better tell you.’
‘Thank God.’ He had never heard her sound more relieved.
‘I’ll wind up my work here shortly, write my letter of resignation and send it over, then clean out my desk. I’ll be a little late for dinner.’
‘You don’t sound happy, Chris.’
‘I’m not. Tynan goes scot-free. The 35th passes into law.
There remains the unfinished business of The R Document. And me, I’m impotent and unemployed.’
‘You’ll get over it, Chris,’ she assured him. ‘There’s so much else to do. We’ll put the house up for sale. We’ll move back to California - maybe next month -‘
‘Tonight, Karen. We’re heading back to California tonight. We’re catching the late plane. I want to be in Sacramento in the morning. I want to do some lobbying. The 35th goes to the Assembly floor in the afternoon. If I fail, at least I’ll go down fighting.’
‘Whatever you say, darling.’
‘I’ll see you later. I’ve got a lot to do.’
After hanging up on his wife, Collins considered the work load on his desk. Before he attacked it, there was something else that had to be done. He summoned his secretary.
‘Marion, on my appointment schedule - cancel everyone I’m supposed to see today, the rest of the week, and the weeks after.’
He saw her raised eyebrows.
‘I’ll explain to you later. I’ll explain before we both go home tonight. Just tell everyone I’ll be out of the city. We’ll get back to them. Another thing, Marion, book me - and Mrs Collins - on the latest flight to California tonight - to Sacramento. I’ll take care of the hotel.’
‘But, Mr Collins, you were going to Chicago tonight.’
‘Chicago?’ he repeated, bewildered.
‘Have you forgotten? You’re scheduled to address the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI tomorrow at their convention. You’re the main luncheon speaker. Following the speech, you have a meeting set up with Tony Pierce.’
He had forgotten completely. During his first week in office he had agreed to address the conclave of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI. Along the way, after his private resolution to oppose the 35th, he had also decided to meet with Pierce, his onetime antagonist on television and the head lobbyist of the Defenders of the Bill of Rights. Through his son, Josh, Collins had located Pierce, who had
agreed to meet with Collins at the Chicago convention of ex-FBI agents.
‘I’m afraid I’ll have to cancel that appearance in Chicago, Marion. I’ve got to go to Sacramento.’
‘They won’t like it, Mr Collins. You’re giving them no time to find a substitute speaker.’
‘There’s always someone,’ he said brusquely. ‘I’ll tell you what - I’d better talk to them myself. I’ll call them after I get some of this work out of the way. As for Tony Pierce, you can handle him. Call his DBR headquarters in Sacramento, locate him, tell him I’m canceling Chicago and ask him to stay put in Sacramento. Tell him I’ll see him in Sacramento tomorrow morning. I’ll call him first thing in the morning to arrange our meeting. Got it?’
She bobbed her head. ‘I’ll take care of Mr Pierce.’ She hesitated. ‘You really want me to cancel all your other appointments?’
‘Everything. No more questions. I’ve got tons of work.’
After Marion had left him, Collins settled down to dispose of all the immediate work - reports and briefs to be read, papers to be signed - on his desk. One of the memorandums, he was pleased to see, was addressed to the Immigration and Naturalization Service: his personal clearance for Ishmael Young’s bride-to-be, Emmy, to enter the United States from France. He signed it and took it to Marion, ordering her to dispatch it at once, with a copy to be sent to Ishmael Young.
Returning to his office, he paused before the fireplace to review what was left of his last afternoon as Attorney General of the United States. Next, he would write his letter of resignation. After that, he would clean out his personal effects from his desk drawers and gather up what was his own in the small sitting room beyond Marion’s cubicle. Finally, he would call Chicago and get out of the speech he was scheduled to make tomorrow.
First, his letter of resignation.
He walked over to the silver carafe next to the telephone console beside his desk, poured a glass of water, and drank it. He looked at the glass-fronted bookshelves of legal tomes on the wall facing him. He roamed about the huge office,
trying to compose his letter. Simple or majestic? Neither. Aggressive or defensive? Neither. At last, he struck the right note. He was tendering his resignation from the post of Attorney General for a compelling reason <5f conscience. After much soul-searching, he had decided that he could no longer go along with the Administration’s stand on the 35th Amendment. He felt that he could better serve his conscience, and his country, by resigning to devote his efforts, unhampered, to opposing passage of the 35th Amendment. The right note.
He hurried back to his desk, pulled out a sheet of his office stationery, and quickly committed to paper what he had composed in his head.
Then he decided that instead of sending the handwritten letter over to the White House, he would have it typed up and would sign it. Photocopies of a typescript letter would be easier for the news media to handle than copies of a handwritten one. Yes, he would have Marion type it, he would sign it, he would have photocopies made.
He reread his letter of resignation, then stood up, seeking means of improving it. He wandered about his office once more, and fin
ally he wandered into the vast conference room next door. Moving across the patterned red carpet, he paused before a painting of Alphonso Taft, Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant. He wondered why in the devil that was here, reminded himself to have it removed tomorrow, then remembered that he himself would be removed tomorrow. He continued around the room, past the long conference table surrounded by its sixteen red leather chairs. Before the middle of the opposite wall, he halted, facing the white marble bust of Oliver Wendell Holmes.
It was at the marble bust that his secretary, Marion, caught up with him.
‘Mr Collins,’ she said breathlessly, ‘Director Tynan is here to see you.’
‘Tynan?’ he said. ‘Here?’
‘He’s in the reception room right now.’
Collins was confounded. This was utterly unexpected. Not once during Collins’ short tenure of office had Tynan
personally come calling at the Department of Justice. ‘Well, tell them to send him in.’
He speculated on what this was all about. One thing for sure: Tynan was the last person he wanted to see today. He awaited the Director’s presence with distaste.
Presently, he saw Vernon T. Tynan’s great bulk loom in the doorway to the conference room. Tynan, muscular beneath his tight double-breasted navy suit, came striding toward him. The crabbed features of his face held their permanent scowl, revealing nothing of his mission.
When he reached Collins, he said, ‘Sorry to break in on you like this, but I’m afraid it’s important.’ He patted the briefcase under his arm. ‘Something I have to discuss with you now.’
‘All right,’ said Collins. ‘Let’s go into my office.’ Tynan did not budge. ‘I think not,’ he said evenly. He glanced about the conference room. ‘I think it might be better here.’ Then he added, ‘I wouldn’t want anyone to overhear what we’ve got to discuss. I don’t think you would, either.’
Collins understood. ‘Vernon, I don’t have my. office hooked up. I don’t believe in taping my visitors.’
Tynan merely grunted. ‘You miss a lot, then.’ He threw his briefcase on the conference table before the chair next to the head of the table. ‘Let’s sit down. What I have to say won’t take long.’
Annoyed, Collins took the red leather chair at the head of the table and sat a few feet from the FBI Director. Waiting, Collins found his package of cigarettes, offered Tynan one, was refused, took one for himself, and put his lighter to it. After a puff or two, he drew a glass ashtray closer and said, ‘Well, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?’
Tynan placed his hands flat on the table. ‘Let’s get right down to it,’ he said. ‘I heard from the President a little while ago. I heard you’d just been in to see him. I heard that you intended to resign from office - and I heard the
reasons why.’
‘If you know the reasons why, I guess I don’t have to
go into them.’ Tynan arched back in his chair, looked Collins up and
down, then shook his head. ‘That was dumb of you,’ he said with a crooked smile. ‘Trying to get Vernon T. Tynan fired was a very dumb thing to do. I figured you for being smarter than that.’
Collins tried to control himself. ‘I did what I had to do.’
‘Did you, now? Well. So did I.’
With maddening deliberation, Tynan began to unlock and open his briefcase.
‘Yes, so did I,’ he repeated mockingly. ‘And since you’ve been looking into my affairs - and you have -‘
‘I certainly have.’
‘ - I thought it only fair to take the time to look into your affairs.’
‘I’m perfectly aware of your recent activities,’ said Collins. ‘I knew you were investigating me again.’
Tynan glanced at him. ‘No kidding? You knew and didn’t do anything about it?’
‘There was no reason to do anything. I have nothing to hide.’
‘You’re sure of that?’ Tynan had been going through the contents of his briefcase, and now he removed a manila folder. ‘Well, anyway, I thought you’d be flattered to know we’ve looked into you with great care - with tender, loving care.’
‘I appreciate your interest,’ said Collins. ‘Now surprise me. What did you find?’
Tynan’s scowl deepened. ‘I’ll tell you what I found. I found something you’ve deliberately hidden from the public - or, possibly, something that’s been hidden from you.’ He opened the folder, briefly studied what was inside, then met Collins’ eyes. ‘You’re setting out to obstruct the one piece of legislation that can save this country from ruin. You’ve been poking into a lot of people’s lives, including my own. You haven’t bothered to see if your own house is in order. Well, before you present yourself to the public as Mr Clean, you’d better be sure your life - and the lives of those around you - is simon-pure.’
‘Meaning what?’
‘Meaning you happen to be married to a woman with a
very suspect recent past. I think it might serve us well to discuss your wife’s past.’
Collins felt a flare of anger at this man who took it upon himself to pry into the personal lives of others. His anger overcame his immediate curiosity about what Tynan had up his sleeve. ‘Vernon,’ he said, ‘I don’t know what the hell you are implying, but I’m telling you right now I don’t intend to discuss my wife or any other member of my family with you. The Senate held hearings on me. My life is a matter of public record. The Senate confirmed me. There is nothing else to discuss.’
Tynan would not be put off. T’m afraid there is something more to discuss. I think you’ll want to talk about it. A little matter that was overlooked in our first investigation of you, a matter you’ll very much want to know about.’ ‘I won’t have my wife dragged into our differences.’ Tynan heaved his shoulders. ‘Up to you, Chris. Either you listen to me and tell me what to do. Or your wife will have to tell it to a judge and jury again.’ He paused. ‘Now, can I go on?’
Collins could feel his heart thump. This time, he remained silent.
Tynan glanced at his papers once more and resumed speaking. ‘Your wife was a widow when you met her. That was a little more than a year ago. Her name was Karen Grant. Her husband’s name was Thomas Grant. Is that right?’
‘That’s right. You know it’s right, so why -‘ ‘It’s wrong, and I know it’s wrong. Her maiden name was Karen Grant. Her husband’s name was Thomas Rowley. Her married name was Karen Rowley.’
Collins had not known that, but he was quick to defend her. ‘So what? There’s nothing unusual about a widow using her maiden name.’
‘Maybe not,’ said Tynan. ‘Or maybe there is. Let me see … you met her in Los Angeles, where she was working as a model. Before that, she lived with her husband in -in-‘
‘Madison, Wisconsin.’
‘She told vou that? She misinformed you. She lived
with her husband in Fort Worth, Texas. Her husband died in Fort Worth.’
Collins pushed back his chair as if to rise and terminate this inquisition. ‘Vernon, I don’t give a damn.’
‘You’d better,’ said Tynan coldly. ‘Do you know how your wife became a widow?’ ‘For God’s sake, her husband was killed in an accident.’ ‘An accident? Really? What kind of accident?’ ‘I’ve never questioned her about it. The subject isn’t exactly a pleasant one to revive.’ Then he added, I believe he was hit by a car. Does that satisfy you, Vernon?’
‘No, it does not satisfy me. According to the FBI records from Fort Worth, he was not hit by a car. He was hit by a bullet - at close range. He was murdered.’
Prepared as Collins was for some disturbing information, this was an unexpected blow. His poise dissolved.
Tynan continued relentlessly. ‘All evidence pointed to your wife as the murderer. She was arrested and tried. After four days of deliberation, she got a hung jury. Possibly because of her father’s influence - he was a political bigwig in the area - he’s dead now - the authorities decided not to initiate a second trial. S
he was released.’
‘I don’t believe it,’ Collins protested. Tynan and the conference room came into and out of focus, and Coffins tried to regain his composure.
‘If you have any doubts,’ said Tynan coolly, ‘this will resolve them.’ He lifted some papers from his manila file folder and placed them neatly in front of Collins. ‘A summary of the case, condensed from court records, identified with the appropriate case number. And photostats of three newspaper clippings. You will recognize Karen Rowley in
them. Now we get to the crux of the matter___*
Collins ignored the papers in front of him, and held on his adversary and the crux of the matter.
Tynan went on. ‘The jury did not find your wife guilty. On the other hand, they did not find her innocent. They did not acquit. They disagreed for four days, could not resolve their differences and reach a verdict. They reported a hung jury. As you know better than I, that leaves the case wide open and casts a shadow of doubt on your wife’s behavior.
This is the part that interested me. I suggested to our agents that they pursue their investigations further. They did. They reconstructed the murder, interrogated the witnesses again, and in the course of their inquiries came up with a new lead. It has proved to be quite valuable. How the local authorities could have overlooked it, I can’t imagine. But sometimes they can be slipshod. As you know, the FBI is never slipshod.’ Collins did not respond. He waited. ‘We have a new witness, one previously overlooked, a woman who claims to have seen Karen Rowley - or Karen Grant or Karen Collins, whichever you prefer - an eyewitness who claims to have heard an altercation, heard Karen tell Rowley she’d like to kill him. The witness decided to leave the Rowleys’ house, and as she did so, she had a glimpse of Karen with the weapon in her hand, standing over her husband’s body.’ Tynan paused. ‘Actually, there’s more.’ His voice dropped. ‘I hate to get into it. But of necessity, it would come out if the witness took the stand.
(1976) The R Document Page 26
