The Anderson Tapes (15 page)

ANDERSON: They want me to cut down on him. This is their price.

After the hit is finished, I am to burn this man. They won’t tell me why; it isn’t my business. But this is their price.

INGRID: Ah… .

[Lapse of one minute twelve seconds.]

INGRID: They know you. They know you so well. They know if you agree to this, you will do it. Not from fear of what they might do if you didn’t, but because you are John Anderson, and when you say you will do a thing, you will then do it. Am I right?

ANDERSON: I don’t know what they think.

INGRID: You ask me for my advice. I am trying to give it to you. If you say yes, you will then kill this man. Tell me,
Schatzie
, if you say no, are you then in trouble?

ANDERSON: Not in trouble … no. They won’t kill me. Nothing like that. I’m not worth it. But I couldn’t freelance anymore. I couldn’t get clearance from them. I could operate, if I wanted to, but it would never be the same again. It would be very bad—penny-ante stuff. I’d have to go back home. I couldn’t operate in this town.

INGRID: Home? Where is home?

ANDERSON: South. Kentucky.

INGRID: And what would you do there?

ANDERSON: Open your robe, will you?

INGRID: Yes. Like this …?

ANDERSON: Yes. Just let me look at you while I’m talking. Christ, I’ve got to talk.

INGRID: Is this better?

ANDERSON: Yes … better. I don’t know what I’d do. Run some alky. Gas stations maybe. A bank now and then if I could find the right men.

INGRID: That is all you know?

ANDERSON: Yes, goddammit, that’s all I know. Do you think I would become a computer operator in Kentucky, or maybe an insurance salesman?

INGRID: Do not be angry with me,
Schatzie
.

ANDERSON: I’m not angry with you. I told you, I just want your advice. I’m all fucked up.

INGRID: You killed a man before.

ANDERSON: Yes. But that was in blood. I had to. You understand?

He said things.

INGRID: So now it is part of a job. How is it different?

ANDERSON: Shit. You foreigners. You don’t understand.

INGRID: No, I do not.

ANDERSON: This guy I cut kept pecking at me and pecking at me.

We had words. Finally I had to put him down or I couldn’t have lived with myself. I
had
to. I was forced into it.

INGRID: You Americans—you are so strange. You “put a man down,” or you “cut him,” or you “burn him,” or you “put him away” or “take him for a ride.” But you will never say you killed him. Why is that?

ANDERSON: Yes, you’re right. It’s funny. I don’t know why it is. These people who want me to do this thing I told you about, I finally asked the man, “You want me to kill him?” and he finally admitted that was what they wanted. But I could tell from the way he paused and the way he looked that the word “kill” didn’t taste sweet to him.

When I was driving for a legger down home we had this old smoke working for us—he could turn out a mighty fine mash—and he said everybody’s got to go—everybody. He said this is the one thing all men are fearful of most, and they invent all kinds of words so as not to say it. And preachers come along and say you’ll be born again, and you grab at the preacher and give him money, though way down deep in your heart you know he’s lying. Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Jew—I don’t care what, they all know nobody’s going to be born again. When you’re dead, man, you’re dead.

That’s it. That’s the end. That’s what this old black kept telling me, and boy, was he right. That’s the one thing in all of us—you, me, and everyone else in this world—and we’re scared of dying, or even thinking about it. Look at you there, almost bare-ass naked with your cousy hanging out, and you think that’s going to last forever? Baby, we’re all getting out. Finally. We’re all getting out.

Why do you think I keep coming back to you and grabbing at you to get me out? Because you always get me out for a short time, and I always know I’m coming back. And somehow, and don’t ask me how because I can’t explain it or understand it, you get me out for a little while and then I come back, and it makes the big getting-out easier to take. The last getting-out. Like I might come back from that, too. I don’t know. I can’t figure it all—but that’s what I think. I want to get out so I can forget the shit I have to eat every day, but also I want to get out like it’s practice for what’s coming.

You know? And this poor, fat, rich East Side bitch I slap around, that’s what she’s looking for, too. Sure, maybe it’s a kick and makes us forget how much crap we wade through every day, but maybe it convinces us that every little time we die—well, then, the big time is no different, and we’ll come back from that, too. Which is a laugh. Isn’t that a laugh, baby?

INGRID: Yes. That is a laugh.

ANDERSON: I didn’t really come here for your advice. I came to tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to kill this Parelli guy. I don’t know who he is or what he is or how bad he needs killing. But whether I do it or a bolt of lightning strikes him tomorrow or twenty years from now, it’s going to be done. But I’m going to kill him because maybe I can get a few clean years out of all this. And right now I’m so charged with blood and you sitting there with all your woman hanging out and staring at me, and I can taste the moment when I put that guy down, and what I’m going to do right now is get you out … maybe for the first time in your life.

INGRID: And how are you going to do that?

ANDERSON: I’ll do it. I don’t know how, but I’ll do it. You’ve got all this crazy stuff around for your customers, haven’t you? We’ll do it with that if we have to. But we’ll do it. I’m going to get you out, Ingrid. I swear it… .

INGRID: Yes?

Xerox copy of a teletype dated 6 June, 1968.

TT-68-7946 … FR NYPD-PC … TO ALL DEP, INS, BOR AND

PRNCT CMDRS, CPTS, LTS, SGTS … FOR POSTING …

REPEAT, FOR POSTING … AS OF THIS DATE, NEW PCC

(POLICE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER) IS IN FULL OPER …

EMRGNCY NMBR 911 … KILL 440-1234 … ALL CMPLNTS TO 911

WILL BE FRWRD TO PRNCT VIA IT OR TE … CMD OF CARS

WITH PCC … CNFRM … PC …

This is tape recording NYSITB-FD-15JUL68-437-6G; 15 JULY, 1968; 12:45 P.M.

SIMONS: Hello, Duke. Close that door quick. Let’s not give any of this air conditioning a chance to escape. Good to see you again.

ANDERSON: Hello, Mr. Simons. How you been?

SIMONS: Getting by, Duke, getting by. Can I offer you something?

ANDERSON: Not right now, Mr. Simons.

SIMONS: Well … you don’t mind if I go ahead, do you? I have a luncheon appointment in about half an hour, and I always find that a martini sharpens the appetite.

ANDERSON: You go right ahead.

SIMONS: Well, now, Duke, what have you decided?

ANDERSON: Yes. It’s all right.

SIMONS: You understand completely what you must do in regards to this person from Detroit?

ANDERSON: Yes. I understand.

SIMONS: Excellent. Now then … let’s get down to the fine print. This person from Detroit will be our responsibility. That is, any payment to him or to his heirs is our responsibility and is not part of any of the financial arrangements which, I trust, you and I will soon agree upon. Is that clear?

ANDERSON: Yes.

SIMONS: All expenses and advances will come off the top. In that connection, if these terms are agreeable to you, I have with me and am authorized to turn over to you the two thousand additional expense funds you requested. Upon approval of the operational plan, we will then turnover to you a sum sufficient for half payment of fees of the men involved which, I understand, you estimated as four to five thousand dollars. Is that correct?

ANDERSON: Yes. That’s right. That’s half their take.

SIMONS: Now then … when the final cash income is determined, all these sums—advances, expenses, and salaries—will come off the top. Clear?

ANDERSON: That includes the final payment to my staff—the other half, about four or five thousand to close them out?

SIMONS: That’s correct. All such expenses will be subtracted first. We anticipate no additional expenses other than those you have outlined. In any event, we feel they will be so minor that they need not concern us at this time. Now then … we are down to the net income. We propose a fifty-fifty split.

ANDERSON: I asked for seventy-thirty.

SIMONS: I know you did, Duke. But under the circumstances, and considering the take may be considerably less than your most optimistic estimate, we feel a fifty-fifty split is justified. Especially in view of the moneys we have so far advanced.

ANDERSON: It’s not right. Not when you figure what I’m going to do for you. I won’t go for it.

SIMONS: Duke, we could sit here and argue for hours, but I know you don’t want that any more than I do. I was instructed to offer you the fifty-fifty deal because we feel that is a fair and equitable arrangement, considering the risks involved and the cash outlay up to this point. Quite frankly, I must admit that Mr. Angelo—Little Pat, that is—he did not feel you would be satisfied with this.

Therefore, I am authorized to propose a sixty-forty division. And that, Duke, I can tell you in all honesty is the best I can do. If that is not satisfactory, then you’ll have to take up the entire matter with Mr. D’Medico or Mr. Angelo.

[Lapse of eighteen seconds.]

ANDERSON: Sixty for me, forty for you?

SIMONS: That is correct.

ANDERSON: And for this I put my cock on the line for a murder-one rap?

SIMONS: Duke, Duke … I wouldn’t attempt to advise you, my boy.

It’s your decision to make, and you know the factors involved in it much better than I. All I can do is offer you the sixty-forty split.

That’s my job, and I’m doing it. Please don’t be angry with me.

ANDERSON: I’m not angry with you, Mr. Simons. Or with Mr.

D’Medico or Mr. Angelo. You got your job to do and I got mine.

And I suppose you all got to answer to someone else.

SIMONS: We do indeed, Duke, we do indeed.

[Lapse of four seconds.]

ANDERSON: All right. I’ll buy the sixty-forty.

SIMONS: Excellent. I’m sure you won’t regret it. Here’s the two thousand. Small bills. All clean. We’ll make arrangements for Parelli to come in from Detroit. You’ll be informed when he’s available for planning. We think your idea of a hit on the Labor Day weekend is a good one. Meanwhile we’ll see what we can do about getting you schedules of the two fifty-first Precinct and the Sector George cars. When you have your campaign firmed up, get in touch with me and I’ll set up a meet for you with Mr. Angelo.

I suggest you do this before you make a firm commitment to your staff. You understand? No use bringing them in until the whole thing is laid out. You agree?

ANDERSON: Yes.

SIMONS: Is everything clear now? I mean about money, and personnel, or anything else? If you have any questions, now is the time to ask them.

[Lapse of six seconds.]

ANDERSON: This Parelli—what did he do?

SIMONS: I don’t know and I don’t want to know. I suggest you cultivate the same attitude. Would you like something now?

ANDERSON: Yes. All right. A brandy.

SIMONS: Excellent, excellent… .

Xerox copy of a letter dated 16 July, 1968, from United Electronics Kits, Inc., 65378 Michigan Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, addressed to Mr. Gerald Bingham, Jr., Apartment 5A, 535 East Seventy-third Street, New York, New York.

DEAR MR. BINGHAM:

In reply to your letter of the 5th inst., please be advised that we have found your suggestion of considerable merit. Accordingly, we are modifying our Amplifier Kit 57-68A so that the back plate is easily removed (via screws) rather than soldered as at present. We are sure, as you suggest, that this will aid construction and servicing of the completed unit.

We wish to express our appreciation for your interest, and we are, frankly, somewhat chagrined that our engineers did not spot this drawback to the 57-68A kit prior to its distribution. The fact that you are, as you say, fifteen years old, makes our chagrin more understandable!

In any event, to express our appreciation for your suggestion in a more tangible form, we are forwarding to you (this date) a complimentary gift of our Deluxe 32-16895 Three-Speed Stereo Tape Deck Kit (no charge).

Again—thank you for your kind interest in our products.

Sincerely,

[signed] DAVID K. DAVIDSON,

Director, Public Relations

Tape recording FBN-DA-11036. Tuesday, 16 July, 1968, 2:36 P.M.

OPERATOR: I have a person-to-person call, Detroit. From Mr.

Dominick Angelo of Deal, New Jersey, to Mr. Nicola D’Agostino at three-one-one, one-five-eight, eight-nine-seven-three.

OPERATOR: Just a moment, Operator.

OPERATOR: Thank you.

[Lapse of fourteen seconds.]

OPERATOR: Is this three-one-one, one-five-eight, eight-nine-seven-three?

MALE VOICE: Yes.

OPERATOR: I have a person-to-person call for a Mr. Nicola D’Agostino from Mr. Dominick Angelo of Deal, New Jersey. Is Mr.

D’Agostino there?

MALE VOICE: Just a minute, Operator.

OPERATOR: Thank you. Are you there, New Jersey?

OPERATOR: Yes, dear.

OPERATOR: Thank you. They’re trying to find Mr. D’Agostino.

[Lapse of eleven seconds.]

D’AGOSTINO: Hello?

OPERATOR: Mr. Nicola D’Agostino?

D’AGOSTINO: Yes.

OPERATOR: Just a moment, please, sir. Deal, New Jersey, calling.

Go ahead, New Jersey. Mr. D’Agostino is on the line.

OPERATOR: Thank you, dear. Go ahead, Mr. Angelo. Mr. D’Agostino is on the line.

ANGELO: Hello? Hello, Toast?

D’AGOSTINO: Papa—is that you? How
nice
to hear your voice! How are you, Papa?

ANGELO: Getting along. Getting along. And how was Florida?

D’AGOSTINO: Magnificent, Papa. Gorgeous. You should move there.

You’d live another hundred years.

ANGELO: God forbid. And the family?