The Cold Six Thousand - James Ellroy [185]
He clipped the shot. He studied it. He built some rage. He watched riot footage. He watched replays. He built more rage.
He traveled for work. He left Vegas. He drove to L.A. He saw a tail. He ignored it. He built more rage.
He knew:
Mr. Hoover doubts you. BLUE RABBIT doubts you. Said doubts plague BLACK RABBIT. WHITE RABBIT dies. You view the prelude. You spark apprehension. Mr. Hoover calls. You dissemble. He probes.
Call it a spot tail. You’ve seen none since. Logic meets rage.
You were spot-tailed pre–BLACK RABBIT. Mr. Hoover told you. Mr. Hoover pulled said tails. Mr. Hoover reinstated them—post–Lyle suicide.
Ergo:
He did not suspect you then. He does suspect you now.
He worked. He traveled—Vegas to L.A. He saw no tails en route. He saw Janice in Vegas. He saw Jane in L.A. He saw no tails at either venue.
Jane scared him. Jane knew him. Mr. Hoover knew about Jane. Agents planted her fake transcript. Agents gave her Tulane.
He checked for tails. He checked daily. He saw none. He replayed riot footage. He replayed Dr. King’s words. He replayed Lyle’s file near-verbatim.
He built a plan. He decreed escalation. He flew to D.C. He did some Teamster work. He stopped by the SCLC. He logged no tails en route.
He talked to Bayard Rustin. Bayard took a call. He excused himself. He found Lyle’s old cubbyhole. He worked fast. He deployed his briefcase. He went through boxed items. He stole Lyle’s typewriter. He stole Lyle’s memo stack.
The office mourned Lyle. They didn’t know Lyle was WHITE RABBIT.
Lyle gambled. Lyle stiffed you. You lost no respect. Lyle betrayed you. Lyle died. Now Lyle resurrects and repents.
Littell made coffee. Littell studied Lyle’s memos. Littell traced the name Lyle D. Holly.
He practiced. He got it. He prepped Lyle’s portable. He rolled in an envelope. He typed all caps:
“TO BE SENT IN THE CASE OF MY DEATH.”
He unrolled the envelope. He rolled in a carbon sheet and paper. He squared off the SCLC letterhead.
Lyle Holly confessed.
To booze binges. To gambling. To passing bad checks. To betrayal—FBI-funded—at J. Edgar Hoover’s behest.
Count 1: Mr. Hoover is crazy. He hates Dr. King. I joined his hate campaign.
Count 2: I joined the SCLC. I hoodwinked Dr. King. I hoodwinked key staff.
Count 3: I rose within the movement. I wrote policy briefs. I logged secrets shared.
Count 4: I leaked secret data. I supplied the Feds. I said tap here. I said bug there.
Addendum 1: A tap and bug list. Certified taps and bugs—known to Littell. Said bugs and taps—likely known to Lyle Holly.
Count 5: I logged Dr. King’s indiscretions. I told Mr. Hoover. He penned a “suicide note.” It was mailed to Dr. King. It urged him to take his own life.
Count 6: Mr. Hoover’s hate grows. Mr. Hoover’s hate deepens. Mr. Hoover’s campaign will ascend.
Littell stopped. Littell thought it all through. Littell reassessed.
No—don’t snitch BLACK RABBIT. Don’t snitch BLUE RABBIT. Don’t snitch WILD RABBIT’s snitch-Klan. Don’t exceed credibility. Don’t indict yourself. Don’t reveal what Lyle might not know.
Count 7: I have done great harm. I despair for Dr. King. I indulge thoughts of my suicide. This letter remains sealed. Staff members will find it. They will send it if I die.
Littell unrolled the document. Littell signed it Lyle D. Holly.
He rolled in an envelope. He typed an address: Chairman/House Judiciary Committee. He rolled out the envelope. He rolled in an envelope. He typed an address: Senator Robert F. Kennedy/Senate Office Building.
It was risky. Bobby ran Justice—’61–’64. Bobby ran Mr. Hoover. Mr. Hoover ran autonomous. Mr. Hoover ran his hate campaign under Bobby’s flag. Bobby might thus feel guilty. Bobby might thus feel shame.
Trust Bobby. Trust the risk. Hit the SCLC. Drop the letters. Get the meter stamp.
Wait—then read the papers. Wait—then watch TV.
Bobby might report the leak. You could contact him. You could resurrect anonymously.
85
(Da Nang, 9/10/65)
Sickbay—pills / drips / IVs. Pete’s world now—Pete the Zonked and Weak.
Wayne pulled