Secret Honor (Honor Bound 3)

“We Episcopals don’t believe we automatically go to hell because we tell a priest to go to hell.”

Welner smiled. “That would depend, of course, on the circumstances. Whether you really wish for me to spend eternity in the fires and agony of hell, or whether that is simply a paraphrase of ‘fuck you,’ in which case it would be a crudity, not a curse.”

Clete laughed.

Welner took a sip of his wine. “Very nice,” he said, then added, “You do bear a certain degree of responsibility, wouldn’t you say?”

“That occurred to me. And, of course, to Dorotéa. As it will to Claudia when she finds out. Alicia’s not blaming me.”

“Claudia doesn’t know?”

“Alicia, Dorotéa, and me, that’s all.”

“Claudia will have to know sooner or later.”

“Dorotéa told me sometimes women miss a period, particularly if they’re upset. This may be a false alarm.”

“Is that what Alicia is hoping?”

“It’s what Dorotéa and I are hoping. Alicia is convinced she’s pregnant.”

“You want me to go to Claudia, is that it?”

“Maybe later. Not yet. What I was hoping you could do is find out what’s happened to Peter.”

“I don’t think I understand.”

“Peter is suspected of being involved in what happened at the beach of Samborombón Bay.”

“In still other words, he is suspected of being a traitor. Is he?”

“Another shot to the nuts, Padre,” Clete said. “I can’t answer that.”

“You don’t have to; the answer is in your eyes. But I don’t understand what you want me to do, what you think I could do.”

“Don’t you have some back-channel communication with Germany? With other Jesuits in Germany? People who could ask questions and get straight answers?”

“What questions?”

“‘Is Peter von Wachtstein dead?’ is the most important one.”

“You think that’s likely?”

“I think the possibility has to be considered,” Clete said.

“There is a much easier way to get what you want done than using my channels,” Welner said. “I’m surprised you haven’t thought of it.”

“I don’t understand,” Clete said.

“Tío Juan,” Welner said.

“Perón? How the hell could he help?” Clete asked, and the answer came to him even before Welner replied.

“The Germans think he’s important to them,” Welner said. “Von Deitzberg’s apology to him about your father seems proof of that.”

“They think he’s going to be el Presidente,” Clete agreed thoughtfully. “You think they’d tell him about von Wachtstein?”

“His interest in von Wachtstein might even…be helpful.”