Littell watched a newscast. Late last night--Air Force One hits D.C. Bobby walks out. Bobby walks calm. Bobby consoles Jackie.
Littell killed Kemper Boyd. Carlos ordered it. Littell shot Boyd on Thursday. It hurt. He owed the Boys. It cancelled his debt.
He saw Bobby with Jackie. It hurt more than Boyd.
Arden Smith walked out.
She walked out fast. She lugged a satchel. She carried skirts and sheets. Littell walked over. Arden Smith looked up. Littell flashed his ID.
"Yes?"
"Dealey Plaza, remember? You witnessed the shooting."
She leaned on the U-Haul. She dropped the satchel. She weighed down the skirts.
"I watched you at the squadroom. You measured your chances and made your move, and I have to say I'm impressed. But you'll have to explain why you--"
"My information was redundant. Five or six people heard what I did, and I wanted to put the whole thing behind me."
Littell leaned on the car. "And now you're moving."
"Just temporarily."
"Are you leaving Dallas?"
"Yes, but that has nothing to do--"
"I'm sure it has nothing to do with what you saw in the motorcade, and all I'm interested in is why you stole your preliminary statement and driver's license from the witness log and left without permission."
She brushed her hair back. "Look, Mr.--"
"Littell."
"Mr. Littell, I tried to do my citizen's duty. I went to the police department and tried to leave an anonymous statement, but an officer detained me. Really, I'd had a shock, and I just wanted to go home and start packing.
Her voice worked. It was firm and southern. It was educated.
Littell smiled. "Can we go inside? I'm uncomfortable talking out here."
"All right, but you'll have to forgive my apartment."
Littell smiled. She smiled. She walked ahead. Kids ran by. They shot toy guns. A boy yelled, "Don't shoot me, Lee!"
The door was open. The front room was chaos. The front room was packed and dollied.
She shut the door. She squared off chairs. She grabbed a coffee cup. They sat down. She lit a cigarette. She balanced the cup.
Littell pulled his chair back. Smoke bothered him. He pulled his notebook. He tapped his pen.
"What did you think of John Kennedy?"
"That's an odd question."
"I'm just curious. You don't seem like someone who's easily charmed, and I can't picture you standing around to watch a man drive by in a car."
She crossed her legs. "Mr. Littell, you don't know me. I think your question says more about you and Mr. Kennedy than you might be willing to admit."
Littell smiled. "Where are you from?"
"Decatur, Georgia."
"Where are you moving to?"
"I thought I'd try Atlanta."
"Your age?"
"You know my age, because you checked me out before you came here."
Littell smiled. She smiled. She dropped ash in her cup.
"I thought FBI men worked in pairs."
"We're short-handed. We weren't planning on an assassination this weekend."
"Where's your gun? All the men in that office had revolvers."
He squeezed his pen. "You saw my identification."
"Yes, but you're taking too much guff from me. Something isn't quite right here."
The pen snapped. Ink dripped. Littell wiped his hands on his coat.
"You're a pro. I knew it yesterday, and you just pushed too hard and confirmed it. You're going to have to convince me--"
The phone rang. She stared at him. The phone rang three times. She got up. She walked to the bedroom. She shut the door.
Littell wiped his hands. Littell smeared his trousers and coat. He looked around. He broke down the room. He quadrant-scanned.
There-- A chest on a dolly. Four drawers all packed.
He got up. He checked the drawers. He brushed socks and underwear. He brushed a slick surface--card-size plastic--he pulled it out.
There-- A Mississippi driver's license--for Arden Elaine Coates.
A P.O. box address. Date of birth: 4/15/27. Her Texas DL listed 4/15/26.
He put it back. He shut the drawers. He sat down fast. He crossed his legs. He doodled. He made mock notes.
Arden Smith walked out. Arden Smith smiled and posed.
Littell coughed. "Why did you watch the motorcade from Dealey Plaza?"
"I heard you had the best view there."
"That's not quite true."
"I'm just saying what I heard."
"Who told you?"
She blinked. "I wasn't told. I read it in the paper when they announced the route."
"When was that?"
"I don't know. A month ago, maybe."
Littell shook his head. "That isn't true. They announced the route ten days ago."
She shrugged. "I'm bad at dates."
"No, you're not. You're good at them, just like you're good at everything you try."
"You don't know that. You don't know me."
Littell stared at her. She popped goose bumps.
"You're scared, and you're running."
"You're scared, and this isn't a real FBI roust."
He popped goose bumps. "Where do you work?"
"I'm a freelance bookkeeper."
"That's not what I asked you."
"I structure deals to get businessmen out of trouble with the IRS."
"I asked, 'Where do you work?'"
Her hands jumped. "I work at a place called the Carousel Club."
His hands jumped. The Carousel/Jack Ruby/Mob guy/bent cops.
He looked at her. She looked at him. Their brainwaves crossed.
6.
(Dallas, 11/23/63).
Shit security. Fucked-up / negligent / weak.
Pete toured the PD. Guy scored him a pass. He didn't need it. Some geek sold dupes. Said geek sold weed and pussy pix.
The ground doors stood open. Geeks hobnobbed. Door guards posed for pix. Camera cords snaked up the sidewalk. News vans jammed up the street.
Reporters roamed. Let's bug the DA. Let's bug the cops. Lots of cops--Feds/DPD/Sheriff's--all motormouthed.
Oswald's pink. Oswald's Red. Oswald loves Fidel. He loves folk music. He loves dark trim. He loves Martin Lucifer Coon. We know it's him. We got his gun. He did it alone. I think he's queer. He can't piss with men in the room.
Pete roamed. Pete checked haIl routes. Pete sketched floor plans. He nursed a headache--a looong one--the fucker had legs.
Barb KNEW.
She said, "You killed him. You and Ward and those Outfit guys you work for."
He lied. He bombed. Barb looked through him.
She said, "Let's leave Dallas." He said, "No." She split to her gig.
He walked to the club. Biz was bad. Barb sang to three drag queens. She looked straight through him. He walked back alone.
He slept alone. Barb slept in the john.
Pete roamed. Pete passed Homicide. Pete stopped at room 317. Geeks cruised for looks. Geeks framed the door. A cop cracked it wide and obliged.
There's Oswald. He looks beat-on. He's cuffed to a chair.
The crowd closed in. The cop shut the door. Talk fired up: I knew J.D. J.D. was Klan. J.D. was not. They got to move him soon. They sure will--to the County Jail.
Pete roamed. Pete dodged geeks with carts. Geeks sold poorboys. Geeks snarfed them. Geeks slurped ketchup.
Pete sketched hall routes. Pete took notes.
One bunco pen. One holding tank adjacent. Basement cells. A press room adjacent. Briefings/newsmen/camera crews.
Pete roamed. Pete saw Jack Ruby. Jack's hawking pens shaped like dicks.
He saw Pete. He seized up. He freaked. He dropped his dick pens. He bent loooow and scooped up.
His pants ripped. Dig those plaid BVDs.