“Wallace, Hoover, and Morgenthau,” Dulles said. “Plus the First Lady.”
“That explains why the director wasn’t disappointed,” Graham said. “Wouldn’t you say?”
“You would have enjoyed it,” Dulles said. “Hoover and Wallace got into it. J. Robert Oppenheimer had complained to Wallace that Hoover was ‘harass ing’ his atomic scientists. Hoover said that it was his responsibility to root out spies wherever they might be found. Morgenthau chimed in and said he was worried the Germans were going to spy on the Manhattan Project, and then Hoover blurted he was more worried about the Russians than the Germans, which annoyed Wallace and Eleanor. Eleanor pointedly reminded Hoover that the Russians were our allies and wouldn’t do anything like that.”
“What was the alleged purpose of this meeting of minds?” Graham asked.
“I really think Roosevelt wanted to know how South American Airlines was doing. He really knows how to hold a grudge.”
“God save us if Wallace or Morgenthau finds out we’re using it to move Nazis to South America,” Alice said. “And why.”
“Good God!” Graham exclaimed. “Don’t say that aloud, even in here!”
“I didn’t hear Alice say anything,” Dulles said evenly, eyeing his drink. “Did you say anything, Alice?”
“Not that I can remember,” she said.
“You’re telling me Roosevelt ordered you from Bern just to ask about SAA?” Graham asked.
“That’s all I can come up with. The only other question I was asked was about the ransoming of the Jews. Morgenthau asked me.”
“And what did you say?”
&nb
sp; “I told him that all I knew was that it was still operating, but that I didn’t have any details. I suggested you might.”
“Thanks a lot,” Graham said.
One of the telephones on Graham’s desk rang. Alice walked to the desk and answered it.
“Colonel Graham’s office. Mrs. Dulaney speaking.” There was a brief pause, and then she added, “Send him up, please.”
She put the phone down.
“Vint Hill Farms has been heard from,” she said.
Then she quickly picked up her glass from the coffee table and walked out of the office.
“There is a Colonel Raymond from Vint Hill Farms for you, Colonel,” Mrs. Alice Dulaney, now back in her secretary role, formally announced from the office door.
“Show him in,” Graham said as he set down the glass he was holding and lowered his feet from where they had been resting on the open lower right-hand drawer of his desk.
Allen W. Dulles was now sitting on a couch facing a small coffee table, from which he lowered his feet. He set his glass down on the table.
This has to be Frade’s after-action report, Graham thought. I guess it took him this long to get everything sorted out.
Lieutenant Colonel James Raymond, Signal Corps—a tall, ascetic-looking man in his late thirties—marched into Graham’s office, stopped two feet from Graham’s desk, and saluted. He wore a web belt from which dangled a holstered Colt Model 1911A1 pistol. His left wrist was handcuffed to a somewhat scruffy leather briefcase.
Graham returned the salute, although he wasn’t in uniform, and he didn’t think even the Army exchanged salutes unless both the saluter and the salutee were in uniform.
“Lieutenant Colonel Raymond, sir. From Vint Hill Farms Station.” Raymond then looked at Dulles, then back at Graham, making it a question.
“Well, he may look like a Nazi,” Graham said, “but actually, Mr. Dulles is the OSS deputy director for Europe and has all the appropriate security clearances. What have you got for me, Colonel?”
“I have a message from Tex for you, sir. I apologize for the delay.”
Graham wagged his fingers in a Let’s have it gesture, then asked, “What caused the delay?”