(1976) The R Document (27 page)

‘No, I can see how the situation would be allowed to exist,’ Radenbaugh said. ‘Ten to one the Arizona Corporation Commission, which is supposed to control corporations, is itself controlled by the Argo Smelting and Refining Company. Then Tynan had something on Argo Smelting, and he moved in on them for his grand experiment.’

Maynard was more agitated than ever. ‘This is absolutely the most appalling situation I’ve ever encountered.’

‘We can’t sit by and let it go on,’ Collins said. ‘As Attorney General, I’ve got to act. I can send a team of investigators in here -‘

Maynard raised a hand. ‘No, that’s not of immediate concern. Argo City and its 14,000 people are not the issue. They are merely part of the larger issue. You said it yourself, Mr Collins. There’s more at stake - far more.’ ‘You mean the 35th Amendment.’

‘We know that crime-free Argo City inspired Director Tynan to develop the 35th Amendment. We know he tested aspects of the 35th, and refined them, using Argo City as a laboratory for suppression and repression in the last four years. We know we have today seen a preview of the entire United States a year from now, and in the years to come, if California ratifies the 35th and makes it part of the Constitution.’

The Chief Justice stood up and aimlessly crossed the room, immersed in some inner conflict, but when he returned to Collins and Radenbaugh, his creased countenance had opened up at some private resolution.

‘Gentlemen,’ he said, ‘I’ve made my decision. If it is up to me, California cannot and shall not pass the 35th Amendment.’

Collins could not hide his elation. ‘Are you - What are you going to do, Mr Chief Justice?’

‘I’m going to do what I promised you I’d do if you uncovered evidence that this democracy is in real danger,’ Maynard said. ‘You’ve shown me one part of The R Document, apparently Director Tynan’s master plan. I have seen fascism accepted as the price for security. Now I can see this fascism brought to the entire nation, all under the guise of law. I can’t and won’t let it happen.’ His eyes held on Collins. ‘I’m going to speak to the President first. I’m going to try to persuade him to reverse his position. If I fail, then I’ll come forward and be heard. If my influence, Mr Collins, is what you believe it to be, there will be no 35th Amendment, no more Argo Citys in America, and our time of agony will be ended.’

Collins grabbed Maynard’s hand and pumped it warmly. Radenbaugh nodded approval. ‘We’d better get moving,’ Maynard said gruffly. ‘I’ll go to my room to get my things. I’ll meet you in the hall in two minutes flat.’

Maynard hastened out the door.

Jubilantly, Collins and Radenbaugh took up their effects and started to leave. At the door, Collins halted Radenbaugh.

‘Where are you going from Phoenix, Donald?’

‘Back to Philadelphia, I guess.’

‘Come to Washington. I can’t put you on the Federal payroll. But I can put you on my private one. I need you. Our work is not done. Once Maynard kills the 35th Amendment, we’ll need a new and decent program to substitute for it, one that will bring about a reduction in crime without sacrificing our civil rights.’

Radenbaugh looked moved. ‘You really can use me? I’d be glad to, but -‘

‘Come on. Let’s not waste time.’

In the hall, they met Maynard emerging from his room. They descended in the elevator together. Collins checked them out at the desk, and then the three crossed the lobby

and exited into the warm late afternoon.

As Collins and Radenbaugh proceeded to the parking lot, Maynard halted to buy the latest edition of the Argo City Bugle from a bearded blind vendor seated on a box next to the hotel entrance. As the vendor heard the clink of the coins, the eyes behind his dark glasses remained vacant, but his mouth curled in a smile of thanks.

Maynard hurried to catch up with his companions. Minutes later, Radenbaugh drove the Ford out of the parking lot, heading back through Argo City toward Phoenix and free air.

*

In front of the Constellation Hotel, the blind vendor pocketed his money, came to his feet, and placed what was left of his stack of newspapers on top of the box.

Tapping his white cane, he hobbled past the hotel, continued on past the parking lot, then turned toward the filling station on the corner. Following his cane, he made his way unerringly to the nearer of the two telephone booths in the rear.

He entered one booth, closed the glass door, and propped his white cane in a corner. Finally, glancing behind him, he removed his dark glasses, pocketed them, took the receiver in his hand, dropped a coin into the slot, and absently studied the numbers on the dial as he waited.

The operator came on. He gave her the number. After a few moments, he deposited the quarters.

He waited. The telephone was ringing. A voice came on at the other end.

The vendor cupped the mouthpiece of the phone.

‘Please put me through to Director Vernon T. Tynan,’ he said urgently. ‘Tell him it is Special Agent Kiley reporting from Field Office R.’

He waited again. Only seconds.

Tynan’s voice came on loud and clear, and with equal urgency. ‘What is it?’

‘Director Tynan. Kiley here at R. There were three of them. I recognized only two. One was Attorney General

Collins. The other was Chief Justice Maynard–-Absolutely

no question. Collins and Maynard..,’

It was midmorning of the following day, and President Wadsworth had telephoned twice within the past fifteen minutes.

For the first time in memory, Director Vernon T. Tynan had avoided taking a call from the President of the United States. With Harry Adcock, behind closed doors, he had been deeply occupied listening to a tape that Adcock had delivered. It was the tape taken an hour before of a private telephone conversation between Chief Justice Maynard and President Wadsworth. The Chief Justice had initiated the call, and his curt conversation with the President had lasted no more than five minutes.

The President’s first call to Tynan had come as Adcock arrived with the critical tape. ‘Tell him I’m not in my office yet,’ Tynan had instructed his secretary. ‘Tell him you’ll try to locate me.’ The President’s second call had come as Tynan was still listening to the tape. ‘Just say I’m still not in,’ he had ordered his secretary, ‘but that you expect me any minute.’

He had heard the tape to its end.

Adcock shut off the machine. ‘Do you want to hear it again, chief?’

‘No, once was enough.’ Tynan leaned back in his swivel chair. ‘I must say I’m not surprised. After Kiley reported from Argo City last night, I suspected this would happen.

Now it’s happened. Well, I’d better call the President back and hear his replay of it.’

Seconds later, Tynan was connected with the Oval Office of the White House.

‘Sorry to have missed you,’ Tynan said breathlessly. ‘Just walked in. I had two appointments on the outside, and neglected to let Beth know. Is it something urgent?’

‘Vernon, we’re cooked. The 35th is as good as dead.’

Tynan simulated astonishment. ‘What are you saying, Mr President?’

‘Just before I phoned you, I had a call from Chief Justice

Maynard.’

‘Oh?’

‘He wanted to know if I’d ever heard of a place known as Argo City, Arizona. It rang a bell immediately. The place you discussed with me last night when you were briefing me on the latest Bureau activities. I told Maynard Yes, I knew about it, that it was a community the Bureau had been investigating for several years. I told him you personally had been leading the investigation of Federal crimes in that city, and would soon be submitting your findings to Attorney General Collins.’

‘Correct.’

‘Well, Maynard took another view of your activities in

Argo City.’ Tynan acted utterly bewildered. ‘I don’t understand.

What other view could be take?’

‘He had the notion that you had been using Argo City as a test site for the 35th Amendment. And the results, while they may have pleased you, were horrifying to him.’

‘That’s absurd.’

‘I told him it was absurd - exactly that. But the old coot

would not be swayed.’

‘He’s off his rocker,’ said Tynan.

‘Whatever he is, he’s against us. He said he’d never publicly expressed himself on the 35th, but he was now prepared to do so. Then he tried to strong-arm me.’

‘Strong-arm you, Mr President? In what way?’

‘He said if I publicly withdrew my support of the 35th, he would gladly remain silent. But if I refused to do so, if I

refused to change my position, then he would speak out.’

‘Who the hell does he think he is, threatening the President?’ said Tynan indignantly. ‘How did you answer him?’

‘I told him I had consistently stood behind the 35th, and I would continue to stand behind it. I told him I believed in it and wanted it ratified as part of the Constitution.’

‘How did he take that?’ asked Tynan with pretended anxiety.

‘He said, “Then you’re forcing me to act, Mr President. I’m stepping down from the Bench and into the political arena, so I can speak out while there is still time.” He said he was flying to Los Angeles this afternoon. He’ll spend all of tomorrow at his Palm Springs home. The day after, he’s going to drive back to Los Angeles. He said, “I’m holding a news conference at the Ambassador Hotel to announce my resignation from the Supreme Court, and I’m going to announce my willingness to appear as a witness before the Judiciary Committees of the California State Assembly and the California State Senate to speak against passage of the 35th Amendment.”’

‘He’s actually ready to do that?’

‘No question, Vernon. I tried to argue some sense into him, but to no avail. He’s off to California in a few hours. And we’re in the soup. The minute he comes out against the 35th, we’re finished. He’ll turn the whole legislature around. Who could have imagined this would happen? All our efforts, our hopes, destroyed by the interference of one man. What can we do, Vernon?’

‘We can fight him.’

‘How?’

‘I’m not sure. I’ll try to think of something.’

‘Think of something-anything.’

‘I will, Mr President.’

Tynan hung up, smiled at the telephone, raised his head, and smiled at Adcock.

He winked. ‘We certainly will think of something, won’t we, Harry?’

Chris Collins was in high spirits that evening. For the first time he was relieved of the strain of the last weeks and ready

to relax.

Returning from work, and just as he had stepped into

the house, there had been the awaited telephone call from

Maynard. The Chief Justice had arrived minutes ago at Los

Angeles International Airport, and before he and his wife

got into their car to drive to Palm Springs, he wanted to

inform Collins of what had transpired that morning. He had

indeed spoken to the President on the phone. He had asked

the President to reverse his position on the 35th Amendment.

The President had refused to do so. Maynard had then

advised the President that he was leaving for Los Angeles,

where he would announce his resignation from the Supreme

Court and say that he intended to speak out, in Sacramento,

against passage of the 35th Amendment. He would spend a

day in his Palm Springs study writing his resignation speech

and his strongly worded statement to the state legislative

committees.

‘I hope this does it,’ he had said.

‘It will, it will,’ Collins had promised, bursting with excitement. ‘Thank you, Mr Chief Justice.’

‘Thank you, Mr Collins.’

Karen had been hovering nearby, wondering, and the moment that he’d hung up, Collins had leaped to his feet, grabbed up his wife, started to lift her from the floor, remembered her pregnancy, and merely hugged and kissed

her.

Quickly, he had explained to Karen - without going into detail, without mentioning Argo City - the Chief Justice’s decision to come out publicly against the 35th.

Karen had been genuinely thrilled. ‘How wonderful, darling. Good news at last.’

‘Let’s celebrate,’ Collins had said. He had felt light of head and body, as if he had shed pounds of pressure. ‘Let’s go out on the town. You name it’

‘The Jockey Club,’ Karen had sung out, ‘and Tournedos Rossini.’

‘You get dressed. I’ll make the reservation. Just the two of us. No business, just pleasure, I promise you.’

A half hour later, after showering together, they were in the bedroom, almost dressed.

Collins was pulling on the trousers of his best navy blue suit, stuffing his shirttails inside, when the telephone rang.

‘You get it,’ Karen called out from the dressing table. ‘My nail polish isn’t dry.’

Collins went to the dressing table and prayed it wasn’t business. Only a few of the people who had his home number were not connected with the Department of Justice.

He picked up the receiver. ‘Hello?’

‘Mr Collins?’

‘Yes?’

‘This is Ishmael Young. I don’t know if you remember?’

Collins smiled. As if anyone would be likely to forget that name. ‘Of course I remember. You’re Director Tynan’s ghost.’

Ishmael Young said seriously, ‘I hope I’m not really remembered that way. But that’s right. I’m doing Tynan’s autobiography, and you were kind enough to see me last month.’ He hesitated, fumbled for the right words, then, with a new immediacy in his voice, blurted out, ‘I know how busy you are, Mr Collins, but if it’s humanly possible I must see you tonight. I won’t take much time - ’

Glancing at his wife, Collins interrupted. ‘I’m afraid I am tied up for the evening, Mr Young. Perhaps you can call me at the office on Monday, and we can make a - ’

‘Mr Collins, believe me, I wouldn’t bother you if it wasn’t important. To you, as well as to me.’

‘We-ll, I don’t know -‘

‘Please.’

The tone of Ishmael Young’s voice made Collins capitulate. ‘All right. Actually, my wife and I were going to have dinner together at The Jockey Club.’

‘I’m sorry. But -‘

‘Never mind. We’ll be there at eight thirty. You can join us.’