Secret Honor (Honor Bound 3)

“Because he is a bright young man who would under

stand the consequences to his father.”

“Well, if you had to guess, how would you say that Frade knew when and where the special shipment was going to be landed?”

Von Lutzenberger then spelled out the story of the river launch in El Tigre: It had been purchased by Argentine-born ethnic Germans, he explained, who had no idea about the schedule for the landing of the special shipment. Nor did von Wachtstein, who was brought into the picture because he knew how to navigate.

“Given that,” he continued, “I strongly suspect that our involvement with the boat came to the attention of the BIS. As I’ve said before, Oberst Martín is very good. Why would a German immigrant sausage maker be buying a riverboat? More important, where would he get the money? Perhaps from the German Embassy? The word goes out, watch the boat. The boat sets out with the German Assistant Military Attaché for Air as her captain. Not up the river, but down the river, into the River Plate estuary. What’s in the River Plate estuary? The Océano Pacífico, which is suspected of being a German replenishment vessel. It goes to Puerto Magdalena, where, as the Argentine police watch, her crew goes to the home of Herr Steuben, another ethnic German. The BIS agents watching Goltz report that Goltz gets up in the middle of the night and drives to Puerto Magdalena to the home of Herr Steuben, and then gets on the river launch and heads out to the Océano Pacífico. The BIS agents watching Grüner report that he, too, gets up very early in the morning and drives in the same direction.

“Now Oberst Martín has a problem. If Goltz and Grüner are really smuggling, he can’t arrest either of them because of their diplomatic status. He can make a report through channels, and at worst I will be chastised by the Foreign Minister, and he will get in trouble with some of our friends in the Argentine military who will think he should have looked the other way.

“I don’t think it strains credulity to suspect that Oberst Martín told young Frade that Oberst Grüner and Standartenführer Goltz were going to land on the shores of Samborombón Bay in the next couple of hours—”

“My God!” von Löwzer said.

“—in circumstances that would preclude any diplomatic indignation on my part if something happened to them there.”

“And, after the fact, the reaction of the Argentine military was ‘Good for young Frade, he revenged his father’?” von Deitzberg asked.

Von Lutzenberger nodded. “That is all speculation, of course,” he said. “I don’t know.”

“It’s the best theory I have heard so far,” von Deitzberg said. “But I wondered…Why did von Wachtstein come through unscathed? Why wasn’t he shot along with Grüner and Goltz?”

“He was shot at, and they missed. Or so Kapitän de Banderano—with whom I managed to speak for an hour—told me. Von Wachtstein came under fire while he courageously pulled Grüner and Goltz into the boat from the Océano Pacífico. Banderano seemed to feel he acted with great courage.”

“Well, he does have the Knight’s Cross, doesn’t he?” von Deitzberg said agreeably.

I don’t think he accepted that explanation nearly as much as he wants me to think he has. And if he doesn’t believe that, he questions the rest of the story as well.

“In the belief that both you and von Löwzer would like to go through our records, I instructed Untersturmführer Schneider, who is in charge of surveilling the Embassy’s officers, to have his records available for you this morning.”

“All the Embassy’s officers?”

“Everyone but myself and Gradny-Sawz,” von Lutzenberger said.

“I would very much like to see them,” von Deitzberg said, “and to talk to Untersturmführer Schneider.”

“He is at your disposal, Herr Generalmajor.”

“And there is another thing, of a somewhat indelicate nature,” von Deitzberg said with a smile. “How do you feel about giving a diplomatic reception, to afford the diplomatic community, and the more important Argentines, an opportunity to meet von Löwzer? And, of course, myself.”

“I think that’s a splendid idea. I’ll have Fräulein Hässell get started right away.”

“You’re very kind. This Saturday, perhaps?”

“That could be arranged, but I don’t think the important Argentines will be available this Saturday.”

“Why not?”

“Young Frade is getting married on Saturday. Presidente Rawson will be there, and so will most of the important Argentines.”

“You and I are going to have to have a long talk about young Frade,” von Deitzberg said, smiling. “But not now. I know you’re busy, and I want to talk to Schneider. And we’re having dinner tonight, I understand?”

Von Lutzenberger nodded. “At the Alvear. I think you’ll like it.”

“I’m sure I will,” von Deitzberg said, and stood up and gave the Nazi salute.

“Heil Hitler!” he barked.