“Jesus!”
“. . . continuing the quote, ‘which we of course do not know, as that was an ASA telephone intercept.’ End quote.”
“My God!”
“There was another intercept. General Greene called Colonel Parsons and asked him what he knew about what Derwin wanted to tell him. Parsons said he had no idea, that he had never even met Derwin.”
“Is that another quote?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t ask where that came from.”
“Thank you. Your turn, Tex.”
“Okay. You know the Likharevs are in Sonthofen?”
“As guests of General and Mrs. White. And where they will remain until we can get them on the SAA flight to Buenos Aires the day after tomorrow.”
“Right,” Cronley said. “I didn’t know about the day after tomorrow.”
“Mrs. Likharev and the colonel have exchanged brief messages over the SIGABA.”
“I didn’t know that, either. I’m glad.”
“Which resulted in this,” Claudette said, and handed him a SIGABA printout.
PRIORITY
TOP SECRET LINDBERGH
DUPLICATION FORBIDDEN
FROM
POLO
VIA VINT HILL TANGO NET
2210 GREENWICH 18 JANUARY 1946
EYES ONLY ALTARBOY
QUOTE MAY ALL OF GODS MANIFOLD BLESSINGS FALL ON YOUR SHOULDERS STOP I WILL FOREVER BE IN YOUR DEBT STOP YOUR LOVING FRIEND SERGEI ENDQUOTE
POLO
END
TOP SECRET LINDBERGH
“Well, you know what they say,” Cronley said. “Russians sometimes get carried away.”
“You’re crying, Tex,” Claudette said.
He shrugged.
“I know how to cure that,” she said. “But I don’t think this is the place to do it. Why don’t we go to your room?”