“Well, he’s what he says he is. He and von Wachtstein flew together all over Europe and Russia. And we know he flies the Condor.”
“Why are you smiling, Gonzalo?”
“Señorita Isabela Carzino-Cormano was quite taken with him,” Delgano said. “And vice versa. As we speak, they’re having lunch in the Alvear. She’s going to show him around Buenos Aires.”
“That amuses you?”
“The possibility Estancia Santa Catalina might ultimately come into the hands of a couple of Luftwaffe pilots does.”
“You think that’s likely?”
“Ten minutes after she met him, she was miraculously transformed from grieving widow, sort of, into . . .” His eyebrows went up.
“Into what?”
“She did everything but back into him, wagging her tail,” Delgano said. “Doña Claudia saw it. She didn’t know what to think.”
Martín shook his head and smiled.
“Tell you what, Gonzalo. Nose around Aeropostal and see who you think would be useful to us and South American Airways—in that order. I’ll look into the new commercial attaché.”
[FIVE]
Office of the Military Attaché Embassy of the German Reich Avenida Córdoba Buenos Aires, Argentina 1405 13 July 1943
Sturmbannführer Erich Raschner, a thoughtful look on his face, handed Himmler’s handwritten order, the directive from the foreign ministry, and von Deitzberg’s personal orders from the reichssicherheitshauptamt, back to von Deitzberg but said nothing.
“And your opinion of all this, Erich?” von Deitzberg asked.
“There’s no telling—there’s not much to go on.”
“Off the top of your head? I won’t hold you responsible.”
“It’s odd that I’m not being ordered back to Berlin with you.”
Von Deitzberg nodded his agreement. “And what would be your guess about that?”
“The reichsprotektor wants me here,” Raschner said, matter-of-factly, with no suggestion that he was being flip.
“And why would he want you here?”
“To keep an eye on things,” Raschner replied. “We still haven’t found the traitor, and . . .” He let his voice trail off.
“And?” von Deitzberg said.
“Have you shown me everything?”
Von Deitzberg nodded.
“Have you learned anything more about the reichsprotektor in that connection? ”
“As far as I know, he knows nothing about it,” von Deitzberg said.
“You don’t think maybe the reason you’re being recalled so suddenly is because he’s found out?”
Von Deitzberg stared at him coldly.
“I thought of that,” he said, finally. “But if that were the case, don’t you think he’d have recalled both of us and not sent Cranz here?”