Read Online The Brea File by Louis Charbonneau - Free Book Online
Authors: Louis Charbonneau
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to do a few favors in the past.
Sederholm had faced a tough, close contest in his last re-election campaign in California. Halbig had been able to provide him with some little-known information about his Democratic opponent. Nothing criminal but enough to raise doubts in the minds of voters. Sederholm had won big—so big that his easy victory had thrust him into the forefront of his party’s candidates for this year’s presidential nomination, thrown wide open by the President’s decision not to seek a second term. If he repeated his earlier triumph in California’s primary tomorrow…
Sederholm was a professional politician. Such men did not forget a favor.
Halbig glanced at his watch. Another minute. Landers liked people to be on time for a meeting. He didn’t like them early any more than he tolerated lateness.
Landers was certain to bring up Halbig’s memo about the Brea file. The missing file could have far-reaching implications for Landers personally… and for Halbig.
Point one: Landers had been in charge of the task force assigned to hunt down the People’s Revolutionary Committee when the terrorists ran amok that summer in California. And in spite of some criticism of the violent end of that hunt, Landers had unquestionably benefited from it. It had thrust him into the national spotlight. Almost certainly it had influenced the President, a hardliner when it came to crime, in his decision to appoint Landers as Acting Director. But a belated revelation of improprieties by the FBI—acting under Landers’ direction with or without his direct knowledge—would damage him. And if he had participated in a cover-up, he would be finished.
Point two: Senator Sederholm would relish inside knowledge of the Brea affair, a juicy plum to pull out during the hearings coming up in two weeks. The consideration by the Senate committee of John L. Landers’ confirmation would begin with Sederholm fresh from his almost certain California victory, looking ahead to the Republican convention a month away, smelling blood as well as roses.
Point three: There was no way the file would hurt Russ Halbig, no matter what an investigation turned up. If Landers were seriously compromised, there was little doubt that Senator Sederholm would act to block his appointment. The way would be clear for someone else to become Director. On the other hand, if Landers managed to emerge unscathed, he would surely react favorably to Halbig’s action in bringing the Brea file to his attention. Landers might even benefit from exposing the affair, and the result could hardly fail to enhance Halbig’s position. Landers was looking for someone he could rely on as his number two, someone with administrative know-how, an Associate Director he could trust…
Halbig backed up, going quickly over his scenario, searching for signs of danger to himself. He found none. No matter which way the investigation went, he stood to gain.
With a chance—a real chance—to find himself on a fast horse along the rail, with all the other favorites dropping back, one by one.
He liked the image, made a mental note of it as he rose and left his office, walking along the quiet corridor toward the Director’s conference room.
He didn’t have to take the elevator. Halbig had already made it to the seventh floor. The Director’s suite of offices was only a short walk along the corridor.
John L. Landers was a solidly built man who had always had to fight his weight to meet rigid FBI standards. Everything about him was square—including his thinking, the syndicated columnist Oliver Packard had written—from his square-jawed, heavy features to his deep, broad chest. The overall impression was of someone immovable as a big rock, and it had been suggested that this quality was the reason the President had selected him to be the Director of the FBI.
He was also said to be humorless, tough, blunt-spoken, intolerant of mistakes. Yet the agents who had served under him in
Sederholm had faced a tough, close contest in his last re-election campaign in California. Halbig had been able to provide him with some little-known information about his Democratic opponent. Nothing criminal but enough to raise doubts in the minds of voters. Sederholm had won big—so big that his easy victory had thrust him into the forefront of his party’s candidates for this year’s presidential nomination, thrown wide open by the President’s decision not to seek a second term. If he repeated his earlier triumph in California’s primary tomorrow…
Sederholm was a professional politician. Such men did not forget a favor.
Halbig glanced at his watch. Another minute. Landers liked people to be on time for a meeting. He didn’t like them early any more than he tolerated lateness.
Landers was certain to bring up Halbig’s memo about the Brea file. The missing file could have far-reaching implications for Landers personally… and for Halbig.
Point one: Landers had been in charge of the task force assigned to hunt down the People’s Revolutionary Committee when the terrorists ran amok that summer in California. And in spite of some criticism of the violent end of that hunt, Landers had unquestionably benefited from it. It had thrust him into the national spotlight. Almost certainly it had influenced the President, a hardliner when it came to crime, in his decision to appoint Landers as Acting Director. But a belated revelation of improprieties by the FBI—acting under Landers’ direction with or without his direct knowledge—would damage him. And if he had participated in a cover-up, he would be finished.
Point two: Senator Sederholm would relish inside knowledge of the Brea affair, a juicy plum to pull out during the hearings coming up in two weeks. The consideration by the Senate committee of John L. Landers’ confirmation would begin with Sederholm fresh from his almost certain California victory, looking ahead to the Republican convention a month away, smelling blood as well as roses.
Point three: There was no way the file would hurt Russ Halbig, no matter what an investigation turned up. If Landers were seriously compromised, there was little doubt that Senator Sederholm would act to block his appointment. The way would be clear for someone else to become Director. On the other hand, if Landers managed to emerge unscathed, he would surely react favorably to Halbig’s action in bringing the Brea file to his attention. Landers might even benefit from exposing the affair, and the result could hardly fail to enhance Halbig’s position. Landers was looking for someone he could rely on as his number two, someone with administrative know-how, an Associate Director he could trust…
Halbig backed up, going quickly over his scenario, searching for signs of danger to himself. He found none. No matter which way the investigation went, he stood to gain.
With a chance—a real chance—to find himself on a fast horse along the rail, with all the other favorites dropping back, one by one.
He liked the image, made a mental note of it as he rose and left his office, walking along the quiet corridor toward the Director’s conference room.
He didn’t have to take the elevator. Halbig had already made it to the seventh floor. The Director’s suite of offices was only a short walk along the corridor.
John L. Landers was a solidly built man who had always had to fight his weight to meet rigid FBI standards. Everything about him was square—including his thinking, the syndicated columnist Oliver Packard had written—from his square-jawed, heavy features to his deep, broad chest. The overall impression was of someone immovable as a big rock, and it had been suggested that this quality was the reason the President had selected him to be the Director of the FBI.
He was also said to be humorless, tough, blunt-spoken, intolerant of mistakes. Yet the agents who had served under him in
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