by Behn, Noel;
Alice backed farther into the dark bedroom, but couldn’t stop watching. She had already discerned what their disguises were … snap-on, half-face Groucho masks. Short Groucho rushed back to his partner holding a newspaper … a newspaper he had obviously just come across … a paper whose front-page headline he kept slapping with the back of his free hand while he talked animatedly at the taller man. Tall Groucho paid scant attention … went on looking for Alice. Short Groucho grabbed Tall Groucho by the arm, jerked him around, held the newspaper up in front of the masked face, pointed at the headline, screamed something. The tall, red-wigged Groucho stared hard at the headline, slowly shook his head, shrugged, glanced back toward the window and Alice. The shorter, blue-wigged Marx Brother again grabbed the other man’s arm, tried pulling him farther back into the office. Tall Groucho broke the grip with ease. Short Groucho pointed a finger at Tall Groucho and stamped a foot. Tall Groucho put a disbelieving finger to his chest. Short Groucho nodded, stamped again, pointed his finger off in the distance, stamped twice more. Tall Groucho shook his head, waved his hand as if to tell Short Groucho to get lost. Short Groucho threw a fit, went into a veritable tarantella … jumped up and down and kicked the floor with his heel and shook an accusatory fist first at Tall Groucho and then off at some distant entity, and ripped the headline in half and ran to one side of the office and then the other, kicking desks, as if trapped or going crazy or both, and then came back and jumped up and down in front of Tall Groucho. Suddenly stopped jumping and just stood there looking up into the taller man’s masked face. Tall Groucho again shrugged and motioned the smaller man away. Short Groucho tapped a gloved finger against his own windbreaker pocket, raised the finger at Tall Groucho and wagged it … held up his second gloved hand … made both hands into fists … lifted three fingers of the right hand and one finger of the left hand.
Alice could hear Short Groucho’s muted shouts of “Thirty-one, thirty-one”… saw Tall Groucho shake his head vehemently and yell back, “Don’t blame the world on me, you lousy mule-fucker, you.”
“Did you say something?” Elaine Picket called from the darkness.
“No.” Alice watched Short Groucho wildly brandish a fist. Tall Groucho appeared to be angry, started toward Short Groucho. The office lights began to dim and raise. Both Grouchos looked around. The lights dimmed and raised again … dimmed and went completely out.
Alice moved up to the bedroom’s open window, peered through and around. Every electric light along the block and beyond was off. In the blackness of the office across the street muffled shouting was audible. She strained to see what was happening. The office lights glowed on. Tall Groucho was standing near the window looking in her direction. Then he turned … directly into a gun Short Groucho had raised to eye level. A long-barrel handgun with a silencer encasing the tip.
Alice did not hear the double thuds all that distinctly, but she clearly saw Short Groucho’s gloved hand kick to the right twice and two puffs of faint white smoke ring the muzzle of the gun and expand … watched the red fright wig pop high into the air … witnessed the side of Tall Groucho’s bald head explode as she had once seen a Halloween pumpkin explode when a lit firecracker was dropped inside.
Exploding, Tall Groucho crumpled from sight beneath the sill of the office window. Short Groucho stood staring down, the smoking gun in hand. He ripped off his wig and mask and went on staring down contemplatively, angrily. He dropped the gun inside his windbreaker. He turned and looked up and blinked in surprise. Only then did she realize she was directly in front of the open window and could be seen. She backed away too late. Alice Maywell Sunstrom, wife of FBI man John Sunstrom, and Marion “Mule Fucker” Corkel had gotten a good look at one another.
EIGHT
Six new teletype machines were among the FBI equipment on the chartered cargo plane that had landed in Prairie Port earlier in the evening. Shortly before 10 P.M. two of these machines arrived at the eleventh-floor resident office of the FBI. The remaining four instruments had gone up one flight to the hastily rented twelfth floor, where support operations for the residency were to be housed. Installation of all incoming machines had begun immediately. Some four hours later, at 2 A.M. Wednesday, August 25, the first teletype, one of the four instruments on the twelfth floor, was activated. The message which began clicking out shortly after was from special agent Alexander Troxel, a member of the newly formed flying squad organized by Corticun at J. Edgar Hoover’s bidding. The communication was a summary report made in conjunction with U.S. Treasury Department operative H. C. Kundra and dealt with nineteen interviews conducted days earlier, between Sunday, August 22, and early Tuesday morning, August 24, regarding the shipment of money to the Mormon State National Bank. The text read:
J. F. Dunlop, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank Branch Office, 5252 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, states his bank regularly reprocesses paper currency from depository banks and replaces bills no longer fit for circulation. Unfit bills usually old or damaged or otherwise disfunctional. Unfit bills burned on premises in Fed Bank’s basement incinerator. On 11 August 1971 Dunlop says incinerator broke down. Six days subsequent, Tuesday, 17 August 1971, Dunlop telephoned Arthur G. Klines, Assistant Director, Projects, United States Treasury Department, Washington, D.C., to express concern at delays in repairing incinerator and amounts of unfit currency amassing at branch bank: nearly twenty million dollars ($20,000,000).
Arthur G. Klines confirms Dunlop story. Klines says such emergencies are not unusual and that twenty million dollars is a “relatively small sum” considering Fed moves hundreds of millions in currency weekly. Klines states, agreeing with Dunlop, that a transfer of amassing unfit currency should be made to an operative incinerator elsewhere. Klines states telephoning Allen J. Noble, Security Director for Gulf Coast Armored Security Corporation, Corpus Christi, Texas, the afternoon of 17 August 1971. Noble confirms Klines’s story, further says Gulf Coast Armored Security is “small, flexible” money-moving company which often assists in emergency or “spot” governmental projects of this kind. Subsequent to Klines’s phone call on 17 August 1971, Noble diverted armored semi-trailer truck from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans. Truck bore no name other than “Gulf Coast Transit” and did not appear to be armored. Truck driven by Gulf Coast Armored Security Vice President, David C. Swoggins. Security guard Jack W. Manly accompanied Swoggins. Swoggins and Manly former Green Berets. Swoggins and Manly, due to company security policies, claim no prior knowledge of mission other than to meet Noble in New Orleans. Noble, Klines, Dunlop say communications between them conducted in strictest secrecy. Klines states being only person to know destination of shipment prior to truck arriving at New Orleans.
Swoggins and Manly arrived New Orleans early evening, Thursday, 19 August 1971, and rendezvoused with Noble. Subsequent to refueling truck and dining, Swoggins, Manly, Noble drove to Federal Reserve Bank branch office on St. Charles Avenue, arriving 8:00 P.M. Bank Vice President Dunlop was waiting for them alone. Between 8:00 P.M. and 9:30 P.M. Swoggins, Manly, Noble start loading some five hundred and fifty (650) canvas sacks of unfit currency into truck trailer.
Money sacks described as heavy-duty canvas of two sizes. Smaller sacks in majority, measure two feet (2 ft.) width, three feet (3 ft.) height, weight estimated at thirty (30) to forty (40) pounds when filled with paper currency. Larger sacks described as three feet (3 ft.) width, four and half feet (4½ ft.) height, weight estimated eighty (80) to one hundred thirty (130) pounds filled. Sacks, large or small, white or gray in color. Sacks, large or small, stenciled either FRB or Federal Reserve Bank. Some sacks, large and small, without stenciling. Some sacks have zipper tops with padlock attachments but no padlocks inserted. Some larger sacks have draw-rope tops.
Paper currency described as old, used, faded, torn or otherwise damaged bills. Bills banded together in stacks according to denominations … one-dollar notes, ten-dollar notes; fifty-dollar notes, one-hundred-dollar notes. Bands are of varying
colored paper … white, gray, manila, yellow. Most bands have no markings. Some white and gray bands might be printed with: U.S. Federal Reserve Bank.
Dunlop states total amount of unfit bills loaded onto Gulf Coast Armored Security truck was thirty-one million dollars ($31,000,000) and that this figure appeared on lading voucher given Swoggins. Dunlop further says duplicate inventory list of serial numbers for every one-hundred-dollar ($100) bill in shipment provided Swoggins.
Swoggins confirms receiving lading voucher for thirty-one million dollars ($31,000,000) as well as copy of inventory list of hundred-dollar bills. Swoggins, Noble, Manly, Dunlop say only after truck was loaded and ready for departure did Dunlop reveal shipment’s destination was Federal Reserve Bank at St. Louis, Missouri. Dunlop told them if trouble was encountered en route, Arthur Klines should be telephoned.
Swoggins, Manly, Noble state leaving New Orleans 10:00 P.M. Thursday, 19 August 1971, in armored truck with Noble driving, Swoggins in cab as armed guard, Manly in trailer as armed guard. Anticipated travel time: sixteen (16) hours. Estimated arrival St. Louis: 2:00 P.M. Friday, 20 August 1971. Truck departed New Orleans westward on U.S. Highway 10 to U.S. Highway 55, followed 55 northward for balance of journey. Truck overheated at McComb and Canton, Mississippi, causing delays of two and four hours respectively. Each delay was telephoned to Arthur Klines by Noble. Overheating problem was partially corrected by reducing driving speed from sixty-five (65) miles per hour to forty (40) miles per hour. Once inside Missouri border, Noble reached Klines by telephone advising engine trouble was worse. Noble doubted truck could hold up till St. Louis. Noble suggested replacement vehicle come for load. Klines told Noble to wait by telephone. Klines called back many hours later saying no replacement truck was available. Klines instructed Noble to deliver load to Mormon State National Bank in nearby Prairie Port, Missouri, for weekend safekeeping, then take truck for repair.
Truck reached Mormon State National Bank at 6:45 P.M., Friday, 20 August 1971. Emile Chandler, President, Mormon State Bank, was waiting at premises. Noble, Swoggins and Manly transferred the entire load of unfit money from truck to bank vault. Transfer completed 8:00 P.M.
Noble, Swoggins, Manly moved truck to Majestic Garage, 45 Clayton Street, Carbondale, Illinois, where they remained for weekend while radiator was replaced. Early Sunday morning, 22 August 1971, Noble, Swoggins, Manly departed for Prairie Port in repaired truck to pick up money at Mormon State and complete delivery to St. Louis. En route heard news of robbery on cab radio and stopped to call Klines in Washington, D.C., for instructions. Klines unavailable. Noble called Dunlop in New Orleans. Dunlop ordered them back to Carbondale to await instructions.
At 7:45 A.M. Sunday, 22 August 1971, Emile Chandler, President, Mormon State National Bank, telephoned at home by Chief of Prairie Port Police Department, F. R. Santi, who reported robbery-in-progress at bank premises. Chandler reached premises 8:15 A.M. Chandler unable to contact Klines. 8:30 A.M. Chandler notified Dunlop of robbery-in-progress.
Dunlop states being unable to find his copy of inventory list of serial numbers for unfit hundred-dollar bills. Dunlop further reveals only two such copies of list existed. Dunlop called Chandler, who had no memory of seeing any such list. Dunlop called Swoggins and Noble in Carbondale, Illinois. Swoggins remembered only his own copy of inventory. Noble remembered placing two copies of inventory list into envelope containing lading voucher. Noble stated envelope then put on top money sack nearest hydraulic door inside vault of Mormon State National Bank.
At approximately 9:45 A.M. Sunday, 22 August 1971, Chandler and Dunlop informed vault is empty. Subsequent search revealed no inventory lists or voucher forms in vault or premises. Chandler, Dunlop agree to say nothing of missing thirty-one million dollars ($31,000,000) until speaking with Klines, who was still unavailable. Klines first contacted by Dunlop and Chandler 8:00 P.M. Sunday, 22 August 1971. Subsequent to being told of robbery and continuing count to establish amount of missing money, Klines expressed fears over potential criticism of Treasury Department for mishandling transfer of thirty-one million ($31,000,000) as well as for losing inventory lists. Klines ordered Chandler and Dunlop to continue not to reveal that thirty-one million dollars ($31,000,000) was missing from the vault.
At 7:00 A.M. Monday, 23 August 1971, Klines met with A. R. Roland, assistant to the Director, FBI, and explained matter. Subsequent to hearing missing thirty-one million dollars ($31,000,000) had not yet been declared to the auditors from Brink’s Incorporated and Mormon State who were tabulating the loss, Roland suggested information continue to be withheld until facts could be confirmed. Boland dispatched special headquarters team to investigate Klines’s statements. At 3:00 P.M. Monday, 23 August 1971, money counters for Brink’s Incorporated, without authorization, announced publicly total amount stolen from vault was sixty-five hundred dollars ($6,500). Klines upset by revelation but deferred to Boland’s wish that nothing yet be said about shipment of unfit currency. Confirmation of Klines’s statements established. Late evening Monday, 23 August 1971, Roland referred matter directly to Director Hoover. Subsequent to reviewing Roland information, Director Hoover ordered press conference for following morning.
9:00 A.M. Tuesday, 24 August 1971, Director Hoover met with press and revealed an additional thirty-one million dollars ($31,000,000) stolen in robbery of Mormon State National Bank.
“Swiss cheese!” Billy Yates muttered as he stood beside the twelfth-floor teletype machine reading the message.
Denis Corticun, prim and immaculate, who was entering the communications cubicle, looked over at him. “What’s that?”
“This report has more holes in it than Swiss cheese,” Billy told him.
“What’s your name?”
“Yates, W.B.”
“From what field office?”
“He’s from down on the eleventh floor,” the communications agent said from a far desk. “They sent him up to get that teletype.”
Corticun took out a pad and pen. “Your full name.”
“William Butler Yates.”
“Any relation to that poet?”
“Not unless he’s Jewish.”
“… Jewish?”
“Jewish like in Hebrew. Gog like in synagogue. The other William Butler is Irish. I’m of the Hebraic persuasion. He spells his name Y-E-A-T-S. I spell mine Y-A-T-E-S.”
Corticun scrutinized the flaxen-haired young man who looked every bit as Aryan as a recruitment poster for Hitler Youth, then jotted down the name. “I suggest, Mister Yates, you behave like a courier rather than an analyst and bring that report to Mister Sunstrom without delay or comment. Only Mister Sunstrom.”
The second assistant medical examiner, as he routinely did on his midnight-to-eight A.M. shift, reviewed the day’s autopsy reports to make certain everything was in order. The folder on Teddy Anglaterra, listed as a John Doe, stated the unknown cadaver had sustained severe beating on its head, shoulders and chest, possibly inflicted by a lead pipe, and then had been stabbed in the upper torso fourteen times. The cause of death was attributed to a stab wound in the right ventricle of the heart. Shortly after expiration the corpse was submerged in water, most likely river water from the look of secondary bruise marks and traces of sludge and water both on the skin and in the internal organs. The time of death was placed between Thursday, August 19, and noon on Friday, August 20.
Noticing that no fingerprints had been taken, the conscientious second assistant M.E. went upstairs to the forensic department’s cadaver room, brought out Teddy’s body and printed all ten fingers and the heel of each hand twice, once on the autopsy form itself and then on a state police identification card. When the ink had dried he put the card into the morgue’s latest toy … a facsimile machine for relaying fingerprints and photographs directly to the crime information center at state police headquarters. Transmission began at 2:45 A.M.
Sister Huxtable, her long-sleeved nightgown properly covered by a linen robe, hurried down the steps of the co
nvent kitchen and out into the blackness of the night holding on high a butane lantern. Seventy-eight-year-old Sister Eleanora, attired in a scapulary chemise, hurried behind carrying a crowbar … followed the older Huxtable down the hillside and through the peach orchard and beyond the vegetable garden and pig sty and ancient stone dairy barn … on into a small, unelectrified brick building that once, long ago, had been used for sheep-dipping. A half-dozen more nuns, most of them hurriedly dressed in their Benedictine habits, stood near the far wall. The knocking had been going on for many minutes, Sister Eleanora was told. “It’s like someone’s trapped down there.” Sister Eleanora took the butane lantern from Sister Huxtable, lowered it over a heavy iron cistern cover in the floor and with the crowbar clanked on the metal twice.
Three distinct answering thuds sounded from under the cover.
Sister Eleanora clanked four times more.
Six thuds echoed back.
Sister Eleanora turned and looked up at Sister Huxtable. Huxtable pondered, then nodded. Aged Eleanora gave the lantern to the nearest nun, with the crowbar tried to pry under the lid. The lid resisted. She began hitting it around the edges. The lid still wouldn’t give. Sister Eleanora called for a chisel and hammer and when the tools arrived, chipped away at the heavy rim, managed to get the chisel down under the edge of the cover, slid the crowbar in beside the chisel, stood and leaned on and pushed the long end of the lever. Fell onto the bar with all her weight. Had other nuns fall onto it with her.