The line went dead.
“He was reading that,” Cohen said as he replaced the receiver.
“And he spoke with authority,” Serov said. “A senior officer carefully following the orders of someone even more senior.”
“I don’t have any civvies,” Cohen said. “But I suspect that civvies order was to show us who’s boss. Fuck him. He called us first. We’re in charge.”
“I vote for playing nice,” Cronley said. “I have—or I used to have—civvies upstairs in my room.”
“You still do,” Ostrowski said as he came from the staircase into the foyer.
“I vote with Cronley,” Serov said.
“I wondered where you were, Max,” Cronley said.
“Packing up the stuff of the guys we lost. And on that subject, what do I do with it?”
“Send it to the Mansion. Maybe somebody can use it. We can’t send it to family in Poland, even if we had an address.” He gestured toward Serov and Cohen. “But first, Max, anything that’ll fit these gentlemen?”
“I have no intention of wearing a dead man’s clothing,” Serov said.
Cronley raised his eyebrows. “Well okay, then, Ivan, but I thought you just voted for making nice. When Colonel Cohen and I get back, we’ll tell you what happened at the Bahnhof.” Cronley turned to Ostrowski. “Let’s show Colonel Cohen where this stuff is.”
Cronley started up the stairs. The others followed.
Upstairs, Cronley walked into the two-room suite that he had briefly shared with Ginger and the baby.
“Shit,” he said.
Ostrowski took his meaning.
“The CIC packed what little of her stuff was here and in the Duchess Suite. They got Father McGrath’s, too.”
“I would have liked something of hers,” he said, then seemed somewhat surprised he’d said it aloud.
“Sweetie,” Janice said, “that would only make things worse.”
“Former love of my life, nothing could possibly make things worse.”
“Why don’t you have Max pack up your stuff and move it to the Press Club? It’s right across the park.”
“Except that would be moving into the Press Club with you.”
“I’m available, Janice,” Ostrowski said.
Janice gave both of them the finger.
“If you should happen to see me at the Zoo Bahnhof, pretend not to recognize me,” she said, and walked out of the room.
[TWO]
Platform 12
Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten
Berlin, American Zone of Occupation, Germany
2035 21 April 1946