He grabbed his crotch. He pulled his shirt up. He pulled down his socks. He opened his briefcase. He went through his files. He dropped the script in.
Eversall smelled-sweat and bay rum. His breath reeked of peanuts and gin.
Littell said, "Did Carlos explain?"
Eversall shook his head. His neck muscles bobbed.
"Answer me. I want to hear your voice."
Eversall squirmed. His high shoe hit the dash.
"I never talk to Carlos. I get calls from this Caj un-type guy."
He said it slow. He blinked in time. He blinked and ducked from the light. Littell grabbed his tie. Littell jerked it. Littell pulled him back in the light.
"You're going to wear a wire and talk to Bobby. I want to know what he thinks about the assassination."
Eversall blinked. Eversall st-st-stuttered.
Littell jerked his tie. "I read a piece in the _Post_. Bobby's throwing a Christmas party, and he's inviting some people from Justice."
Eversall blinked. Eversall st-st-stuttered. He tried to talk. He popped _p_'s and _l_'s. He tried to say "Please."
"I've prepared a script. You tell Bobby that you don't like the proximity to the hearings, and you offer to help. If Bobby gets angry, you be that much more persistent."
Eversall blinked. Eversall st-st-stuttered. He tried to talk. He popped _p_'s and _l_'s. He bounced _b_'s for "Bobby."
Littell smelled his piss. Littell saw the stain. Littell rolled the windows down.
o o o
He had spare time. The pay phone was close. He cracked all the windows and aired the car out.
Trains rolled in. Women fetched their husbands. A hailstorm hit. It chipped his windshield. He tuned in the radio news.
Mr. Hoover addressed the Boy Scouts. Jack Ruby sulked in his cell. Trouble in Saigon. Bobby Kennedy bereft.
Bobby loved hard. Bobby mourned hard. _He_ used to.
Late '58:
He worked the Chicago Office. Bobby worked the McClellan Committee. Kemper Boyd worked _for_ Bobby. Kemper Boyd worked _against_ him. Mr. Hoover deployed Kemper wide.
Mr. Hoover hated Bobby. Bobby chased the Mob. Mr. Hoover said the Mob did not exist. Bobby humbled Mr. Hoover. Bobby disproved his lie.
Mr. Hoover liked Kemper Boyd. Boyd liked his friend Ward. Boyd got Ward a choice Bureau job:
The Top Hoodlum Program-Mr. Hoover's late retraction-Mr. Hoover's late nod to the Mob. Call it a half-measure. Call it a publicity shuck.
He worked the THR He fucked up. Mr. Hoover kicked him back to the Red Squad. Boyd stepped up then. Boyd stepped up for Bobby. Boyd offered friend Ward a _real_ job.
Covert work-unpaid.
He took the job. He culled anti-Mob data. He leaked it to Boyd. Boyd leaked it to Bobby.
He never met Bobby. Bobby called him the Phantom. Bobby logged a persistent rumor. Bobby passed it on to Kemper Boyd.
The Teamsters kept a _private_ set of pension-fund books. The "real" books hid one billion dollars.
_He_ chased the "real" books. He traced them to a man named Jules Schiffrin. He stole the "real" books-late in '60.
Schiffrin discovered the theft. Schiffrin had a heart attack. Schiffrin died that night. Littell hid the books. Said books were coded. Littell decoded one entry fast.
The code rebuked a royal clan. The code proved that Joe Kennedy was mobbed-up tight.
Joe fed the fund. Joe gorged it. Joe invested 49 million dollars. It was laundered. It was lent. It suborned politicians. It financed labor rackets.
The base sum stayed in the fund. The money notched compound interest. The money greeeeeeew.
Joe let it ride. The Teamsters held his assets. Littell did not tell Bobby. Littell did not assault his dad.
He kept the books. He ignored his Red Squad work. He befriended a name leftist. Mr. Hoover found out. Mr. Hoover fired him.
Jack Kennedy was elected. Jack made Bobby his AG. Bobby got Boyd work at Justice.
Boyd interceded. Boyd braced Bobby-employ the Phantom, please.
Mr. Hoover interceded. Mr. Hoover braced Bobby-don't employ Ward J. Littell. He's a drunk. He's a sob sister. He's a Communist.
Bobby kowtowed. Bobby cut the Phantom off. The Phantom kept the "real" books. The Phantom quit booze. The Phantom lawyered freelance. The Phantom cracked the fund-book code.
He tracked a billion dollars. He tracked intakes and transfers. He studied and extrapolated and _knew_:
The funds could be diverted. The funds could be deployed legally.
He hoarded the knowledge. He hid the books. He inked up a duplicate set. He hated Bobby now. He hated Jack K. by extension.
Boyd was fixed on Cuba. Carlos M. ditto. Carlos financed exile groups. The Boys wanted to oust Fidel Castro. The Boys wanted to reclaim their Cuban hotels.
Boyd worked for Bobby. Boyd worked for the CIA. Bobby hated Carlos. Bobby deported Carlos. The Phantom knew deportation law.
Boyd set him up with Carlos. The Phantom became a Mob lawyer. It felt morally and hatefully correct.
Carlos set him up with Jimmy Hoffa. Mr. Hoover reappeared.
Mr. Hoover made nice. Mr. Hoover praised his comeback. Mr. Hoover set him up with Mr. Hughes. Mr. Hoover shared his Bobby-Jack hate.
He worked for Carlos and Jimmy. He planned the Hughes-Vegas deal. Bobby attacked the Mob. Jack dropped the Cuban cause. Jack curtailed the hothead exiles.
Pete and Boyd stole some dope. Things went blooey. The Boys got very mad.
He braced Carlos. He said let's kill Jack. He said let's nullify Bobby. Carlos said yes. Carlos vouched the plan. Carlos brought Pete and Boyd in.
Carlos fucked them. Carlos opted for Guy B. Carlos sent Guy to Dallas.
A late bill came due. Late fees accrued. He had the "real" books. He had the data. He had them unsuspected and clean.
He was wrong. Carlos _knew_ he had them. Carlos saw him ascend. Carlos called in the bill due.
Carlos said _you're_ going to sell Hughes Las Vegas-and _we're_ going to fuck him. _You_ know the books. _You_ cracked the code. _You_ have money plans. _That_ money. Plus the _Hughes_ money. Equals _our_ money-juiced by _your_ long-range strategy.
He returned the books. He kept the dupes. His theft was near-open goods. Carlos knew. Carlos told Sam G. Sam told Johnny Rosselli.
Santo knew. Moe Dalitz knew. No one told Jimmy. Jimmy was crazy. Jimmy was shortsighted. Jimmy would kill him.
Littell skimmed newscasts. Littell got crossband blips: LBJ/Kool Menthol/Dr. King and Bobby.
He met Bobby-three days pre-Dallas-he mis-ID'd himself. He said I'm just a lawyer. He said I have a tape. Bobby gave him ten minutes of time.
He played his tape. A hood indicted Joe Kennedy.
For: Pension Fund fraud/collusion/long-term racketeering.
Bobby called his father's bank. The manager confirmed details. Bobby brushed tears back. Bobby raged and grieved. It felt all good then. It felt all hateful now.
The news signed off. A deejay signed on. Mr. Tunes-comin' at ya.
The phone rang.
Littell ran. Littell slid on hailstones. Littell grabbed the receiver.
Pete said, "Junior won't play. The fucking kid stalemated me."
"I'll talk to Sam. We'll make a different app-"
"I'll clip Zangetty and Killiam. That's it. I won't clip the women."
The booth was hot. The windows fogged. The storm produced steam.
"I agree. We'll have to finesse Carlos."
Pete laughed. "Don't shit me. You know it's more than that."
"What are you saying?"
Pete said, "I know about Arden."
_DOCUMENT INSERT_: 12/19/63. Verbatim telephone call transcript. Marked: "Recorded at Mr. Hughes' request. Copies to: Permanent File/Fiscal '63 File/Security File." Speaking: Howard R. Hughes, Ward J. Littell.