The Cold Six Thousand - James Ellroy [54]
The hit awed him.
They did it. They got away clean. The safe-house geeks meant shit. Carlos knew it. The hit was a kick. Let’s schmooze it and relive it. Let’s kill some geeks for conversation.
Pete sipped a Coke. He quit booze last week. Carlos ragged Guy. Carlos despised drunks.
Barb twirled the mike cord. Barb blew a note. Barb threw perspiration off.
Pete watched Barb. Wayne Junior watched him.
Barb gigged late. Pete went home alone.
He called room service. He stood on the terrace and dug on the Strip. He felt cold air swirl.
The phone rang. He grabbed it.
“Yeah?”
“That Pete? You know, the big guy passin’ out his number on the west side?”
“Yeah, this is Pete.”
“Well, that’s good, ’cause I’m calling ’bout that reward.”
Pete said, “I’m listening.”
“You should be, ’cause Wendell Durfee’s in town, and I heard he bought a gun off a craps dealer. And I also heard that Curtis and Leroy just brought in some hair-o-wine.”
DOCUMENT INSERT: 1/7/64. Covert tape-recording transcript. Recorded at Hickory Hill, Virginia. Speaking: Doug Eversall, Robert F. Kennedy.
(Background noise/overlapping voices)
RFK (conversation in progress): Well, if you think it’s essen—
DE: If you wouldn’t mind, I’d (background noise/overlapping voices) (Incidental noise. Door slam & footsteps)
RFK (conversation in progress): Have been in here. They shed all over the rugs.
DE (coughs): I’ve got two Airedales.
RFK: They’re good dogs. They get along well with children. (Pause: 2.6 seconds) Doug, what is it? You look the way people are telling me I look.
DE: Well.
RFK: Well, what? We’re here to set trial dates, remember?
DE (coughs): Well, it’s about the President.
RFK: Johnson or my brother?
DE: Your brother. (Pause: 3.2 seconds) It’s, well, I don’t like the thing with Ruby. (Pause: 1.8 seconds) I don’t want to sound out of line, but it bothers me.
RFK: You’re saying? (Pause: 2.1 seconds) I know what you’re saying. He’s got Mob connections. Some reporters have been digging up stories.
DE (coughs): That’s the main thing, yes. (Pause: DE coughs) And, well, you know, Oswald allegedly spent some time in New—
RFK: Orleans last summer, and you used to work for the State’s Attorney down there.
DE: Well, that’s about—
RFK: No, but thanks. (Pause: 4.0 seconds) And you’re right about Ruby. He walked in there, he shot him, and he looked relieved as hell that he did it.
DE (coughs): And he’s dirty.
RFK (laughs): Cough away from me. I can’t afford to lose any more work days.
DE: I’m sorry I brought all this up. You don’t need to be reminded.
RFK: Jesus Christ, quit apologizing every two seconds. The sooner people start treating me normally, the better off I’ll be.
DE: Sir, I—
RFK: That’s a good example. You didn’t start calling me “Sir” until my brother died.
DE (coughs): I just want to help. (Pause: 2.7 seconds) It’s the time-line that bothers me. The hearings, Valachi’s testimony, Ruby. (Pause: 1.4 seconds) I used to prosecute homicides with multiple defendants. I learned to trust time—
RFK: I know what you’re saying. (Pause: RFK coughs) Factors converge. The hearings. The raids I ordered. You know, the exile camps. The Mob was supporting the exiles, so they both had motives. (Pause: 11.2 seconds) That’s what bothers me. If that’s what happened, they killed Jack to get at me. (Pause: 4.8 seconds) If that … shit … they should have killed …
DE (coughs): Bob, I’m sorry.
RFK: Quit apologizing and coughing. I’m susceptible to colds right now.
(DE laughs.)
RFK: You’re right about the time-line. It’s the order of things that bothers me. (Pause: 1.9 seconds) There’s another thing, too.
DE: Sir? I mean—
RFK: One of Hoffa’s lawyers approached me a few days before Dallas. It was very strange.
DE: What was his name?
RFK: Littell. (Pause: 1.3 seconds) I made some inquiries. He works for Carlos Marcello. (Pause: 2.3 seconds). Don’t say it. Marcello is based in New Orleans.
DE: I’d be willing to contact my sources, and—
RFK: No. It’s best for the country this way. No trial, no bullshit.
DE: Well, there’s the Commission.