Maheu was not even told of Hughes’s disappearance until December fourth, when, in a dramatic scene resembling a South American coup d’etat, a strike force of Intertel agents swooped down on Maheu’s offices, physically ejected him and his staff into the street, locked and guarded the offices and files and seized control of the Hughes-Nevada Operations in the name of Gay, Davis and Henley.
Literally, one minute Maheu was in his office, carrying on with Howard’s business: the next, he was on the street, having been told that he was relieved of all authority, including the authority to continue drawing the $500,000-a-year retainer he had been charging Hughes.
12/4/1970