(1976) The R Document (13 page)

That’s right. I kept it in his study.’

‘Could I spend a few minutes going through it, Hannah?’

‘I don’t have it. That file cabinet isn’t here now. It was moved out the day after Noah died. Vernon Tynan called me. He asked if he could borrow it for a month or two. He said he wanted to check through it to be sure there was no top-security material in it. I was relieved to let him have it. All that security material Noah was always handling made me nervous. So if there’s anything you need, you’ll have to go to Vernon for it. He’ll be cooperative, I’m sure.’

Odd, Collins thought. What did Vernon T. Tynan want with Colonel Baxter’s private papers? But there was no time to examine that now.

‘Actually, Hannah, what I’m looking for is a Justice Department paper connected with the 35th Amendment. It has a name. It’s called The R Document - The R Document. Did you ever come across it in the file?’

I never went through the file. There was no reason to.’

‘Well, do you remember if Noah ever spoke to you about something called The R Document?’

She shook her head. ‘No, not that I can recall. As I told you, he rarely confided in me about business matters.’

Disappointed, Collins continued. ‘Can you think of anyone - any friends - he might have spoken to about it?’

She pointed to the open cigarette pack on the table. ‘May I have one, Christopher?’ Hastily, he pulled a cigarette out of the pack, handed it to her, and lighted it for her. ‘I started smoking again the day after the funeral.’ She puffed thoughtfully for a moment. ‘Noah didn’t have many close friends. He was a very private person, as you probably know. There were some people he spent time with in the office, like Vernon Tynan and Adcock, but what they had was more of a work relationship. On the personal side … a personal friend?’ She broke off, lost in thought. ‘Well, I guess the only one who qualifies would be Donald - Donald Radenbaugh. He and Noah were the closest of friends, until the time of poor Donald’s trouble.’

Momentarily the name eluded Collins, and then it fixed in his mind and he remembered the headlines.

‘After Donald was tried, sentenced, and confined in

Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary,’ Hannah Baxter went on, ‘well, Noah couldn’t see him anymore, of course. I mean, considering Noah’s position, it would have been awkward. It was like the time when Robert Kennedy was Attorney General, and his friend James Landis was involved in a tax-delinquency case. Kennedy disqualified himself. He couldn’t interfere. Well, neither could Noah in Donald Radenbaugh’s case. But all along, Noah believed in Donald’s innocence, and he felt the whole case was a miscarriage of justice. Anyway, Donald had been one of Noah’s best friends.’

‘Donald Radenbaugh,’ said Collins. I do remember his name. It got a lot of publicity at the time - two or three years ago - a money scandal of some kind. I don’t recall the details.’

‘It was a messy case. I don’t recall the details exactly, either. Donald was a lawyer practicing here in Washington when he became a Presidential adviser in the previous Administration. He was indicted for conspiracy to defraud or extort -1 forget which - a million dollars from big corporations with Government contracts. Actually, the money came from illegal campaign contributions. When the FBI zeroed in on a man named Hyland, this Hyland turned state’s evidence to get a lighter sentence, and he laid all the blame on Donald Radenbaugh. He claimed that Donald was en route to Miami Beach to deliver the money to a third conspirator. When the FBI picked up Donald in Miami, he did not have the money. He insisted he’d never had it. Nevertheless, based largely on Hyland’s testimony, Donald was tried and found guilty.’

‘Yes, it’s all coming back to me now,’ said Collins. I think he got a heavy sentence, didn’t he?’

‘Fifteen years,’ said Hannah. ‘Noah was very upset about it. He always said Donald was used as the - the fall guy -by the aides to the last President, to keep that Administration looking clean. Noah could not intercede in the trial. He did try to get the sentence lightened, but with no luck. I know he hoped to get Donald a parole after he’d served five years, but now Noah isn’t here to help him. Anyway, Donald Radenbaugh is the only person I can think of who might help you - besides Vernon Tynan.’

‘Are you suggesting Radenbaugh might know something about The R Document?’

‘I can’t say, Christopher. I simply don’t know. But if this document was a paper or a project Noah was concerned with, he very well might have discussed it with Donald Radenbaugh. He often asked Donald’s advice on difficult matters.’ She ground out the stub of her cigarette. ‘You might visit Lewisburg in your official capacity, arrange to see Donald, say you want to help him the way Noah intended to. He might be cooperative, might give you the information you need. I could write him and tell him he can trust you, that you were a protege and friend of Noah’s.’

‘Would you do that?’ Collins asked eagerly. ‘Of course I’d try to help him.’

‘I certainly would and shall. I intended to write Donald a few words anyway, about what happened. I don’t think he gets much mail anymore except from his daughter. He has a lovely daughter named Susie, who lives in Philadelphia now. I’ll tell him you’ll be visiting him. Do you know when?’

Collins turned a calendar page in his mind. ‘I have to be in California the end of the week to deliver a speech. I should be heading back a few days after that. Okay, you can tell Mr Radenbaugh I’ll be seeing him in a week or so. Definitely, no later. It’s a good lead, Hannah, and I appreciate it.’ He rose, went to her, kissed her cheek. ‘Thanks for everything. You stay well, and keep busy. If there’s anything Karen or I can do for you, please call.’

Leaving, heading for the car, he felt much better. Radenbaugh was a real possibility. But then his mood dampened. First he would have to confront Vernon T. Tynan with the mystery of The R Document. He was uncertain how to do it, but it would have to be done sooner or later. By the time he had got into the limousine, he had decided. The sooner the better.

*

The following morning at ten-thirty, Chris Collins met with Vernon T. Tynan in the Director’s seventh-floor conference room adjacent to his office in the J. Edgar Hoover Building.

Collins had hoped that the meeting would take place in Tynan’s office. Collins had wanted to see if Noah Baxter’s private file cabinet was in that office. But Tynan had been waiting for him in the hall when he reached the seventh floor and led him into the conference room. There, Tynan had insisted that Collins take the chair at the head of the table, while he sat in a chair to the Attorney General’s right.

As Collins drew the manila folder out of his saddle-leather briefcase that contained the latest crime statistics from California, he watched and listened to the Director joke with his secretary, who was serving tea and coffee. Since meeting with Father Dubinski in the rectory of Holy Trinity Church, Collins had entertained a growing suspicion about his FBI Director. But now, as he observed Tynan’s light-heartedness with his secretary, the suspicion seemed unreal and was gradually dispelled. Tynan’s pugnacious face was wreathed in a smile. There was an openness and directness about him that was disarming. How could one be suspicious of the leading lawman in the land? Perhaps the priest had misunderstood or exaggerated the threat from Tynan’s emissary.

‘Don’t forget, Beth,’ the Director called after his secretary as she was leaving, ‘no interruptions.’ The door closed, and Tynan devoted himself to his visitor. ‘Okay, Chris, what can I do for you?’

‘I just need a few minutes,’ said Collins, sorting his papers. ‘I’m reworking my speech for Los Angeles. I’m including the latest FBI reports on crime in California -‘

‘Yes, we broke them down just for California. That’s where the action is for us. You got them? I sent them over yesterday.’

‘I have them here,’ said Collins. I want to be sure I have the very latest figures. If anything new has come in -‘

‘You’re right up-to-date,’ said Tynan. ‘The worst yet. They’ll be effective in your speech. Make them realize out there that they, more than the citizens of any other state, need Constitutional help.’

Collins studied the topmost sheet in his hand. ‘I must

say, these California crime statistics are unusually high compared with the other large states.’ He looked up. ‘And they are absolutely accurate?’

‘As accurate as the police chiefs in California want them to be,’ said Tynan. ‘You’ll be quoting their own numbers back to them.’

‘Just want to be sure I’m on solid ground.’ ‘You’re on solid ground, all right. With those figures, you’ll be laying perfect groundwork for going into the 35th Amendment.’

Collins took a sip of the lukewarm tea. ‘I’ll be going into the 35th, of course. Although I’m being careful not to overdo it. I’d hate to enter into a real debate with anyone on. it. I don’t look forward to that session on TV. Frankly, I haven’t had time to study the bill closely, all its ramifications, since becoming Attorney General.’

‘I’m not worried about how you’ll handle yourself,’ said Tynan airily. ‘You did well enough on the 35th during your Congressional hearings. You know as much as you need to know.’

‘But maybe -‘ Collins hesitated.’ - maybe I don’t know everything.”

Tynan displayed a flicker of fretfulness. ‘What else is there to know?’

The moment had come. Collins shut his mind’s eye and plunged. ‘There’s something - some kind of supplement -called The R Document. What about that? How much does it have to do with the 35th Amendment?’

Collins wore an ingenuous expression on his narrow features. All innocent curiosity. He focused closely on Tynan to see if his reaction betrayed anything.

Tynan’s hooded eyelids had lifted. His small dark eyes had widened. But they were blank. Either he v/as a consummate actor or the reference to The R Document meant absolutely nothing to him.

Collins broke the silence by prodding him. ‘What should I know about The R Document?’ ‘The what?’ asked Tynan.

‘The R Document. I thought you could brief me on it, so that I’m prepared for anything.’

‘Chris, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Wherever did you come up with that? What is it?’

‘I don’t know. I was cleaning out some of Noah Baxter’s old papers. I happened to see the title on one of Noah’s memo notes concerning the 35th. Something about checking it out in relation to the Amendment. That’s all there was on the memo.’

‘Do you have the memo? I’d like to see it. Might refresh my memory.’

‘No, dammit, I don’t have it anymore. It went into the shredder with a lot of Noah’s dated papers. But it stuck in my mind, so I thought I’d mention it. I thought if you’d heard of the document, it might help me.’ He shrugged. ‘But if you haven’t -‘

‘I repeat,’ said Tynan firmly. ‘I haven’t the slightest idea what you are referring to. It was probably Noah’s synonym - or whatever you’d call it - for the 35th Amendment. I can’t imagine anything else. Anyway, I don’t know a thing about it. You can be confident you have all the information you require to do a bang-up job in California. You do your job, we’ll do ours, and you can be certain California will ratify. It’s all our chips on one bet in another month - and Chris, I don’t intend to see us lose the pot.’

‘Nor do I,’ said Collins, packing his papers. ‘Well, I guess I’m in pretty good shape.’

Once in the hall, and alone, Collins walked thoughtfully down to the sixth floor, reviewing the meeting. There had been no crack in Tynan’s armor. There had not been anything in his response, in his behavior, to indicate that he had knowledge of a paper - a dangerous paper, Baxter had called it on his deathbed - known as The R Document.

Still…

As he walked to the elevator, his eyes fell on the huge open well in the center of the sixth floor. He veered toward it and looked up. There was no roof above it. He peered down far below at the open pedestrian plaza on the ground floor. On his first tour of the new FBI building, he had asked his guide, a Special Agent, why there was this big opening in the center of the building and why it was uncovered on top. The guide had replied, ‘To make our FBI

headquarters seem less secret, less closed in, less ominous and forbidding. We’ve made it appear wide open so that we will appear wide open to the public.’

Appear wide open, Collins thought.

Perhaps the Director had taken on the look of his building, a deception of openness to camouflage the truth.

Collins continued slowly toward the elevator where his daytime bodyguard, Oakes, was waiting.

Well, he decided, there was still California, where he might learn more about Tynan and his operation. And after that, there was still Lewisburg, where he might learn even more about Tynan and The R Document.

Noah Baxter, in his dying breath, had urged him to expose a trick called The R Document at all costs at once.

Had Noah realized, Collins wondered, that he was sending him into a maze with only blank walls? At the same time, Noah would not have directed him on this blind odyssey unless there were a door somewhere.

Entering the elevator, he vowed to find it fast.

*Ś’#.,.*

Back in his own office once more, Director Tynan stood grimly in the center of the room, awaiting Harry Adcock.

When Adcock entered, shutting the door softly behind him, Tynan was staring absently at the carpet. Without raising his head, he said, ‘He just left.’

‘What did he want?’ asked Adcock, coming to die center of the room.

‘He tried to play games with me. He said he was here to get some help on the speech he’s delivering in Los Angeles.’ Tynan snorted. ‘Bullshit.’

‘What did he really want, chief?’

‘He wanted to know if I’d ever heard about something called The R Document.’

‘Had you?’

Tynan raised his head. ‘I didn’t even know what he was talking about.’

‘Where did he hear of such a thing?’

‘I don’t know. He talked about seeing it on one of Noah’s

memos.’ Tynan snorted again. ‘He was lying.’ He met Adcock’s eyes. ‘He’s a pretty nosy fellow, our Mr Collins, pretty nosy. He seems to be looking for ways to make trouble.’