The Legacy (40 page)

Jamison shuddered. Bianco could explain the strange accident that had befallen his competitor in the North Carolina gubernatorial race nine years earlier. And that would be just for starters. There were many other crimes Bianco could convict him of. He could implicate me in a murder plot.

But whats Biancos incentive to do that? Walsh asked. He screws himself in the process. If he admits he murdered someone to win you the governorship of North Carolina, hes going to go to jail for a long time. If he does nothing and the tape is aired, hes going to come under a lot of heat as the Congressional hearings get cranked up and everyone on the Hill starts grandstanding. As he so rightly believes, many people will focus on the Mafia as the guilty party. But I think ultimately hell opt to just take the heat of the Congressional hearings and the FBI. Its certainly better than spending the rest of his life in prison.

Jamison nodded. It made sense. But there are a few others outside of Biancos circle who could link me to the Mafia as well, he said ominously.

Thats true, Walsh agreed hesitantly.

For several moments they stared at each other, each fully aware of what the other man was thinking.

IT HAD ONLY been a week since Coles two-thousand-mile sprint across the country from Powell, Montana, to Ray Burgesss home in Greenwich, Connecticut, but already the bodies were turning up everywhere.

General Avery Zahn was discovered in a motel room naked, with a bullet through his brain. No one had been arrested for the murderand no one ever would be.

Eric Walsh was found burned beyond recognition after a violent accident on I-95 south of Washington. It took four days for the coroner to receive the dental records so that Walshs body could be identified.

Commander John Magee was discovered floating facedown in the Potomac River, his death officially ruled an accidental drowning despite the fact that there was no water found in his lungs.

And William Seward was discovered sprawled on the couch in the study of his isolated Virginia cabin, his death officially ruled a suicide even though the two men who had killed him had also sliced off the index finger of his left hand and thrown it in a Dumpster on their way back to New York.

They were seemingly unrelated deaths. But all of the victims were killed by members of the Bianco crime family at the direction of Anthony Bianco and the president of the United States.

President Jamison sat alone in the Oval Office staring out the window. Zahn had sarcastically noted the irony in his feeble attempt at personality. How accurate and prophetic, Jamison thought to himself. Bodies were turning up all over the place, just as they had after Kennedys death.

Jamison put his head back, closed his eyes and took a large swallow of scotch from the glass in his hand. All links between the Bianco crime family and the Oval Office had now been cut. Only he and Anthony Bianco knew what had happened. Bianco had made the decision to remain quiet, just as Eric Walsh had predicted. And now Walsh and the others were permanently quiet.

Cole met Tori in Grand Central Station at the height of rush hour. She had assured him when she called him that there was nothing to worry about, but of course that was what she would say.

Hello, Cole, she said as they met in the middle of the main floor. Commuters rushed by them on all sides, headed toward trains.

Hello, he said icily.

I know youre angry with me.

It all worked out. Cole kept glancing around, searching for any sign of enemies. He wanted to keep this meeting short.

She saw his discomfort. I told you over the phone, theres nothing to worry about.

And I should trust you?

You dont trust anyone, so I wouldnt expect that.

Mmm. There were plainclothes policemen in the station to protect him, but he still felt vulnerable. The police had urged him not to come, but for some reason he was willing to take the risk to see her one last time.

I came with a message, Tori said.

Whats that? he asked.

Youre safe.

Cole gazed at her. What?

You dont have to worry about being killed. Anthony Bianco has no interest in stirring up any more trouble. He realizes that if something were to happen to you, he and his people would come under even greater scrutiny. Anthony is a businessman above all else, and he realizes your demise would not be good for business.

Cole raised one eyebrow. You and Mr. Bianco are on a first-name basis?

We have been for a long time. Hes not the monster you think he is.

I think you need to take a reality pill.

Theres something else, Tori said, ignoring Coles comment. She knew she would never be able to convince Cole that Bianco had any redeeming qualities, so there was no point dwelling on the issue. Your debt at the Blue Moon has been erased.

Despite his effort not to, Cole grinned. Excuse me?

You heard me.

So the Blue Moon was all part of what happened? All connected to the Dealey Tape?

Tori shook her head. No, completely unrelated, but Anthony found out about it. He finds out about everything. Hes personally picking up your tab as a show of good faith. In return, he asks that you not appear on the NBC special the night the network broadcasts the tape.

I wasnt planning to anyway, Cole answered quickly. And you can tell your benefactor that I will be repaying the debt at the Blue Moon myself.

Whatever.

Fine. Cole turned to go, then hesitated. How long have you been involved with those people?

A long time, she said solemnly.

But why?

It seemed exciting when I was young, and it was the last thing my mother wanted me to do.

But you must have realizedhe pausedI mean, at some point, why didnt you get away from them?

She smiled sadly. You dont do that, Cole. They arranged for several women to run into your father over the years. I was one of them and ultimately the one your father wanted. I couldnt walk away from that situation. They would have killed me.

So they were following my father all that time? Cole asked dubiously.

Yes. I told you that the day we met. A lot of people were.

Thats incredible. He glanced up at the domed ceiling. Well, Ive got to go.

She nodded. She wanted him to stay a little longer, but there was nothing else to say. Goodbye, Cole.

Goodbye. He turned and disappeared into the crowd.

She gazed after him for several moments, then retraced her steps to the black limousine waiting on Forty-second Street in front of Grand Central. Once inside the vehicle she moved across the bench seat until she was beside Anthony Bianco. He smiled at her for a moment, then kissed her on both cheeks.

BARRY NELSON SORTED through the stack of envelopes on his desk, found the appropriate one and tossed it at Cole, who sat on the other side of the desk.

Cole ripped the envelope open and pulled out the Gilchrist & Company check. It was made out for eight hundred thousand dollars, which was the after-tax proceeds of his one-and-a-half-million-dollar bonus. Good Friday was good this year, Cole noted calmly. At Gilchrist, Good Friday was bonus day, which was the second Friday of January, not the Friday before Easter.

Yeah. Nelson was gazing out of his office onto the trading floor. You had a nice run there in December as interest rates kept going down. You ended the year making thirty million dollars for the firm. He pointed at Cole. But dont get cocky, he warned.

You dont have to worry about that, Cole assured Nelson as he stood up to go. Im resigning.

What?

Im going to take some time off and enjoy myself for a while.

Nelson was incensed. You cant quit. Eight hundred thousand might sound like a lot of money, Cole, but it isnt. Your standard of living will just increase to meet your income. It always happens that way. Ive seen it a million times around here. Youll burn through that check in no time. I promise you.

Cole nodded. Youre probably right. In fact, the small ranch outside of Livingston, Montana, was going to cost close to three million dollars. But the second half of the NBC money had arrived in his account this morning. After tax, he was worth almost nine million dollars now.

Dont come back here looking for a job, Cole, Nelson blurted out. Im warning you. If you walk out of here, thats it.

Cole smiled as he reached the office door. No one at Gilchrist had any idea that he was the one who had recovered the tape a nation would be glued to their television sets watching in a few hours. And after the program concluded, they still wouldnt. NBC had agreed not to reveal how they had located the Dealey Tape. Cole opened the office door to leave.

Im not kidding! Nelson screamed.

Cole picked up the autographed baseball from on top of the file cabinet beside the office door. Here, Barry. He tossed it to Nelson. Knock yourself out.

Nelson grabbed the baseball out of the air and heaved it against a picture of the 1941 Yankees he had put up on the wall to replace the one of the 1927 team.

Cole was still chuckling as he reached his chair on the government desk. He picked up a small bag filled with personal items, then leaned over the bulkhead. The two traders on the other side were staring blankly at their computer screens. You guys still havent heard from Gebauer, huh? he asked.

One of the traders glanced up, pushed out his lower lip and shook his head. Not since right after you started your vacation back at the end of November. His wife hasnt heard from him, either.

Cole knew what that meant. Lewis Gebauer was dead. He waved. See you guys later.

What are you doing tonight, Cole? one of the traders yelled after him.

Im gonna watch that Kennedy assassination special, he called over his shoulder. It sounds interesting.

It does at that, the trader murmured. He would be tuned in, too.

The entire nation would.

Cole, Nicki and Jim Egan sat before the wide-screen television in the living room of the Plaza Hotel suite Cole had rented for the evening. It was ten thirty-five and the interviews were finally over. The Dealey Tape was about to roll for the first time on national television.

Jim sat in a chair while Cole and Nicki sat close to each other on the couch, their hands locked together.

Even though he had watched the tape of the assassination many times, Coles heart was beating rapidly. Not out of anticipation, out of fear. They had come so far, but there was always the chance that somehow the DIA or the Mafia would get to the tape. But then it was there on the screen in front of them for the world to see. The now familiar sight of the rifle over the fence, and President Kennedys head snapping back.

Nicki gasped at the sight.

Then the limousine was moving away and it was over. NBC had agreed to cut it after that. Jim Egans face would never be part of the tape again.

After the tape had finished the first time, Jim rose and moved to the bar on the other side of the room. Cole followed his father while Nicki remained on the couch, her eyes glued to the television screen. NBC would show the tape again several times, and she wanted to see it as many times as possible. For Cole and his father, it was enough to simply know it had made it to the airways.

Cheers, Dad. Cole touched his glass to his fathers. Cole had spent almost every day with his father over the last six weeks, making up for a lifetime of absence, and he had enjoyed every moment. Now his father didnt have much time left. You did it.

We did it, Jim asserted, his voice weak.

They sipped scotch in silence for several minutes.

Cole finally spoke. All of what weve been through and what we know really points the finger squarely at the Mafia as the ones who killed Kennedy. Dont you think, Dad? he asked quietly, so Nicki wouldnt hear.

Jim took another long swallow from the glass. Youll never know who really killed John Kennedy, Cole. Be very careful of who you accuse.

Okay. Cole heard the warning. Hey, theres something I want to ask you.

Whats that?

How did William Seward know to put me under surveillance? How did he know I would be the one to get the tape?

Pretty logical, dont you think?

I suppose, but

And he didnt put just you under surveillance, Jim interrupted. He had several people followed, including Bennett Smith.

How did Seward know when it would happen? Or have I been under surveillance all my life?

Jim shook his head. No. In the DIA we had to have complete physicals every six months. Im sure he started tailing people as soon as he found out I had cancer.

Cole glanced back at the television set. The tape was playing for the fourth time and Nicki was still awestruck by the images.

Cole?

Yes, Dad. Cole had been watching the television again. NBC was highlighting the rifle coming over the fence, and an expert was analyzing what make of rifle it was and who would have been likely to use that type of gun.

I want to apologize, Jim said firmly.