The Cold Six Thousand - James Ellroy [237]
11 - PROSPECT traveled throughout Mexico by car & called me at phone-drop in New Orleans. I forwarded sums of $ to him at American Express offices & paid him for 4 “narcotics runs” from McAllen to Juarez. I met with PROSPECT 4 times from 10/22/67 to 11/9/67 & drew him out on political issues. PROSPECT described a “Bounty” offered thru the Grapevine Bar in St. Louis ($50,000 to kill MLK), which sounded like a fantasy but indicated that he might be willing to step up for D-Day, which would upgrade his role in our plan. PROSPECT was drinking heavily, taking amphetamines & smoking marijuana in Mexico & while there got into altercations with prostitutes & pimps. PROSPECT drove to Los Angeles (without calling me) & called with address on 11/21/67. He stated he wants more work from me, is taking self-hypnosis & self-improvement courses & is visiting “segregationist bookstores.” He urged me to get him his passport papers as an “advance against future jobs.”
12 - PROSPECT remains in L.A. I’m L.A.-based, so I’ll be able to surveil him. PROSPECT remains pliable & I’m convinced he’ll work for us. Have we got a date & or location yet?
I’ll pouch again when required. Again, READ & BURN.
F.O.
DOCUMENT INSERT: 12/4/67. Pouch communiqué. To: Fred Otash. From: Dwight Holly. Marked: “Confidential”/“Eyes Only”/“Read & Burn.”
F.O.,
No date or location yet. Continue with PROSPECT. Will try to secure RED RABBIT’s travel plans.
READ THIS & BURN.
D.C.H.
DOCUMENT INSERT: 12/4/67. Atlanta Constitution headline and subhead:
KING ANNOUNCES “POOR PEOPLE’S MARCH” ON WASHINGTON
PLEDGES TO WORK FOR “REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH”
DOCUMENT INSERT: 12/5/67. Cleveland Plain Dealer headline and subhead:
KING ON SPRING MARCH:
“TIME TO CONFRONT POWER STRUCTURE MASSIVELY”
DOCUMENT INSERT: 12/6/67. Verbatim FBI telephone call transcript. Marked: “Recorded at the Director’s Request”/“Classified Confidential 1-A: Director’s Eyes Only.” Speaking: Director Hoover, President Lyndon B. Johnson.
LBJ: Is that you, Edgar?
JEH: It’s me, Mr. President.
LBJ: That goddamn march. It’s all over the news.
JEH: I’ve read the announcements. They’ve fulfilled my very worst fears and apprehensions.
LBJ: That son-of-a-bitch is bringing an army to protest me, after all I’ve done for the Negro people.
JEH: The march will unleash a bloodbath.
LBJ: I asked him to call it off, but the son-of-a-bitch refused. He’s killing my chance to get reelected. He’s in cahoots with that spoon-fed cocksucker, Bobby Kennedy.
JEH: I will let you in on a little-known fact, Mr. President. Bobby allowed me to tap and bug King himself, back in ’63. He has forgotten his initial misgivings in his rush to embrace that Communist.
LBJ: The cocksucker wants my job. King’s creating the fucking dissent that will get it for him.
JEH: I’m putting 44 agents on King. They will disseminate derogatory data nationwide. I will do everything in my power to subvert this march.
LBJ: Edgar, was there ever a better friend to the Negro people than me?
JEH: No, Mr. President.
LBJ: Edgar, has my legislation improved the lot of the Negro people?
JEH: Yes, Mr. President.
LBJ: Edgar, have I been a friend to Martin Luther King?
JEH: Yes, Mr. President.
LBJ: Then why is that cocksucker trying to cornhole me when I’ve bent over backwards to befriend him?
JEH: I don’t know, Mr. President.
LBJ: He’s a worse bane to my fucking existence than this fucking war I’m fucking knee-deep in.
JEH: I’m going to plant a Negro in the SCLC. He used to work as my chauffeur.
LBJ: Tell him to chauffeur King off a cliff.
JEH: I understand your frustration, Sir.
LBJ: I’m getting fucked from two flanks. I’m fighting a two-front war against a King and a fucking Kennedy.
JEH: Yes, Mr. President.
LBJ: You’re a good man, Edgar.
JEH: Thank you, Mr. President.
LBJ: Do what you can on this, all right?
JEH: I will, Sir.
LBJ: Goodbye, Edgar.
JEH: Goodbye, Mr. President.
DOCUMENT INSERT: 12/7/67. Los Angeles Examiner subhead:
BUSINESS COMMUNITY ATTACKS KING FOR