TATORT FOUR - 4

IV

RECORD OF CONVERSATION – TAPE 1.

 

JACK RUBY:   Hullo.

CAPTAIN X:     It’s me.

JR:       Jeez,  how’d you get this number?

CX:      I hit the yellow pages.

JR:       Right… are you sure this, well, this line is secure?

CX:      Yup.  It’ll be fine.

JR:       OK, what seems to be the trouble sir?

CX:      The defector.

JR:       Oswald?  He served his purpose though right?

CX:      Granted.  I’m in town as of current.

JR:       Where?  I’ll come get you.

CX:      No need.  I’ll come to you.  There’s something I need taken care of.

JR:       Sure, who do you need for the job?

CX:      You.

JR:       For what?

CX:      One last mission.

JR:       OK…

CX:      I need you to put the “scare” in him.

JR:       What are you getting at sir?

CX:      There’s a .38, sewn to the bottom of the corner booth in your club, it’s filled with extra loud blanks.  I need you take it and head down to the DPD building and take a shot at Oswald.  The police cannot book you with anything substantial seeing as its not loaded.  They’ll arrest you, but no charges will stick.  I have a guy, Lieutenant Rhames, who will make your arrest record goes AWOL and escort you through the fire exit that evening from your cell.  So no sweat.

JR:       I don’t know Cap, seems risky and I’ve done my half of the bargain.

CX:      I’m an expert with calculation.  There is none.

JR:       Hm, what’s the pay-out?

CX:      Three large.

JR:       Woah, you’re kidding?

CX:      No.  Courtesy of John Smith and Jane Doe.

 

JR:       I’ll need to think about it sir.

CX:      Of course, but think fast – he’s being moved to County tomorrow morning.

JR:       I don’t know.

CX:      Surely you want to do your part for your country right, Jack?

JR:       Of course, but not in this way.

CX:      Not in this way?  Christ, Momo “the boys” are always at yours and you give me that crap?

JR:       Sorry sir, I didn’t mean it like that.

CX:      That’s fine Jack, you have my offer, think it over.  Just to scare him that’s all.  Be seeing you.

 

RECORD OF CONVERSATION – TAPE 2.

Captain X:        *****, I need a favor.

?:         Sir.

CX:      Where are you now son?

?:         A motel in Austin.

CX:      I need you to come back to Dallas.

?:         Sir?

CX:      Our favourite club owner won’t play our little joke on Oswald.

?:         Seriously?  Cap, I must be the most wanted man in the state.

CX:      It’s fine, our newspaper boys did a good job.  Everybody’s into the lone ranger consensus now.

?:         It won’t stick.  The story that is.  Everyone’s a sucker for the truth.

CX:      And that’s why it helps to have friends in high places.  Wouldn’t you agree?

?:         Ditto.  A shakedown then?

CX:      Yeah. 

?:         It’ll be taken care of.

CX:      Good, just a little persuasion from Ruby please nothing too medieval.

?:         Fine.

CX:      Say ****** before you go, you still in touch with the LA doctor?

?:         I have a number somewhere…

CX:      Did you say still engineers?

?:         He can fake anything.  You know Marilyn Monroe?

CX:      Yeah?

?:         Yeah.

CX:      I might need you to get in contact with him about our peculiar friend Mr. Ferrie.

?:         OK soon.

CX:      And should Ruby do something stupid.  Could he engineer extensive stage lung cancer…

 

Captain X collected his jacket from the cloak room lady, a small and well-groomed woman with straw hair and a long neck.  He asked her if the owner was about, she confirmed this and said she’d fetch him.  She offered him a seat, Ruby came down a minute later.

“I’m sorry he went rough with you.”

“It’s fine.”

“Do you understand what you need to do?” the Captain asked, striking a match.