“The Abt request means that Oswald still believed he had to maintain his cover and that Angleton would get him out of the mess.”
Good observation.
“It was not until the instant that Ruby shot him that Oswald figured out he had been betrayed—and he knew Ruby personally so he knew exactly what happened.”
Yes, he knew him, and probably not just recently from Dallas. One of Oswald’s brothers was mobbed up in New Orleans and frequented one of Ruby’s clubs he was running for the mob over there.
But I’m not sure that was the moment Oswald figured out he was being hung out to dry. After all, he had previously made the famous “I’m just a patsy” comment to reporters, the night before I believe. I imagine he probably started to suspect things weren’t right when his handler failed to show up at the movie theater, but perhaps wasn’t certain until the end.
Fair points—there are several moments when Oswald must have started to get nervous—and you identified them.
I think he hoped “playing ball” would still save him though—and probably thought it was worth a try.
I have to laugh when folks here call him a Communist and a traitor—here was a guy who risked his life in counterintelligence for the CIA—the Russians could have killed him anytime they wanted when he was there.
That was extraordinary courage bordering on recklessness.
No good deed goes unpunished.