Oswald in the doorway: the blog of the Oswald Innocence Campaign, by Ralph Cinque

Let's look at what James Bookhout said about his whereabouts on 11/22/63.  

Mr. STERN - Were you on duty on November 22? 
Mr. BOOKHOUT - Actually, I was on leave on that particular date. However, I had been requested to come to the office to handle some expedited dictation in a particular case. Having completed that, I left the office and proceeded to the Mercantile National Bank, where I transacted some personal business. Upon leaving the bank, it was momentarily expected that the President's motorcade would pass that area. I stood there for a few minutes, and as the motorcade passed I was actually unable to personally observe the President, due to the crowd on the sidewalk. While waiting for the crowd to thin, in order to cross the street, several separate sirens on the police squad cars were heard proceeding in the direction of the county courthouse. While crossing the street, some citizen with a transistor radio stated that it had just been announced that shots had been fired at the President's motorcade.
I immediately proceeded toward the office and observed two agents coming from the direction of the office, who advised that the office was trying to contact me and I was to proceed to the homicide and robbery bureau of the Dallas Police Department.
I immediately proceeded to the homicide and robbery bureau and contacted my office and was advised that I was to maintain liaison with the homicide and robbery bureau. 
Mr. STERN - Did you then go to the police headquarters? 
Mr. BOOKHOUT - Yes; as I said, I went to the homicide and robbery bureau after contacting the Dallas office. 

So,  he was on leave on 11/22. Not just that he wasn't working that day, but he was "on leave." Think about the meaning of that term as it is commonly used. But, even though he was "on leave" he went into the office to handle some expedited dictation. I presume it means he had to dictate something. But, this seems to conflict with him being "on leave." Then, after that, he went to the Mercantile National Bank to conduct some personal business. "The Merc" as it's called is still there. 

 It's right on Main Street, a little ways from Dealey Plaza. 

So, we're supposed to believe that he was at the motorcade but that the motorcade wasn't his purpose for being there. He wasn't all that interested. He had banking to do, but since the motorcade was happening, he stuck around for it. But, because there were people in front of him, he couldn't see. He never caught a glimpse of the President. The crowd on the sidewalk blocked his view of the President, which tells you that he was a short guy. Then, he heard sirens, and then someone with a transistor radio told him tha tthe President had been shot. That spurred him to go to the FBI office, and on his way there, he ran into two other FBI agents, who told him the office was looking for him because they wanted him to proceed to the homicide bureau. So then, he went to the homicide burea where he contacted his office, and they told him to maintain liaison with the bureau. 

Are you buying this? Because I'm not buying it. I don't buy that he just happened to be at the motorcade by happenstance. And I don't buy the part about him running into the two other FBI agents by happenstance. And, I certainly don't buy the part about them passing an order on to him. And I don't buy the part about him doing what they said and not going to the office and hearing directly from his superiors about what to do. It's not like Presidents get shot and killed every day. I should think that he would have wanted to talk with them directly. And since there were no cell phones in those days, and not too many public phone booths, that meant him going there. He was on his way anyway, so why would he change his plan just because he ran into those guys? Wouldn't he want to hear it from the horse's mouth?

So no, I don't buy any of it. I think he was at the motorcade by intention. And I'm not sure he was at the Merc either. I think it's very possible that this was him:

Was Fedora Hat man by the Obelisk really James Bookhout? That man looks to be short, and so was Bookhout. And, I believe he is turned around and facing Oswald, and we are seeing the back of him. They went to a hell of a lot of trouble to conceal him, by putting that Woman and Boy in there.