The Assassination Option (Clandestine Operations 2)

“Four, sir. They’re in our car. They’re addressed to Lieutenant Cronley.”

“One of you go get the packages. Ostrowski, help him.”

“Yes, sir,” Hammersmith and Ostrowski said on top of one another. Then Hammersmith gestured to the other CIC agent to get the packages.

“Now, who sent you here?” Dunwiddie asked.

“Major Connell, who’s the Twenty-second CIC’s exec, sent us to General Greene’s office in the Farben Building. Then Colonel Mattingly sent us here.”

“Hessinger, did we get a heads-up about this?” Dunwiddie asked.

“No, sir.”

Dunwiddie looked at Cronley, who had just finished reading one of the letters.

He extended it to Dunwiddie.

“When you’re finished, give it to El Jefe,” he said.

Robert M. Mattingly

Colonel, Armor

2 January 1946

Special Agent J. D. Cronley, Jr., CIC

C/O XXIIIrd CIC Detachment

Munich

BY HAND

CC: Rear Admiral Sidney W. Souers

Lt Col Maxwell Ashton III

Dear Jim:

Vis-à-vis the packages addressed to you at the XXIInd CIC Detachment, and which were opened and seized as contraband by agents of the Postal Section, Frankfurt Military Post Provost Marshal Criminal Investigation Division.

I have assured both Major John Connell, of the XXIInd CIC Detachment, and the FMP DCI that the cigarettes, coffee, Hershey Bars, and canned hams were being introduced into Occupied Germany in connection with your official duties. The four packages of same were released and will be delivered to you with this letter.

May I suggest that you notify General Greene, or myself, the next time you feel it necessary to directly import such materials, so that we may inform the DCI and avoid a recurrence of what happened here?

With best personal regards, I am,

Sincerely,

Robert M. Mattingly

Robert M. Mattingly

Colonel, Armor

When Dunwiddie had read the first letter, he passed it to Schultz and then looked at Cronley. Cronley was not finished with what looked like a very long handwritten letter.

It was.