Curtain of Death (Clandestine Operations 3)

“Fortin told us, sir,” Finney said, “that when the Germans—the SS—learned that he was in England with de Gaulle—they and the Milice, their French assistants—arrested Fortin’s mother, wife, and two young children for interrogation. When that was over, they threw their bodies in the Rhine.

“Fortin told us the only reason he hadn’t arrested Luther Stauffer and had him tried as a collaborator was that he had become convinced that Stauffer was involved with Odessa, and that breaking that up and catching the people involved was more important to him than putting Stauffer in jail.”

“And then he asked,” Cronley said, “how I would feel about using Al to get inside Odessa. What he proposed was that Al return, alone, with more PX goody packages, and tell Cousin Luther he was en route to Salzburg. Cousin Luther would then ask a favor, a small favor—something like giving the packages to someone in Salzburg, or someplace else over the border. Maybe he’d offer to pay him. Anything that would put Al on the slippery slope.”

“And what did you say?” General Gehlen asked.

“I told him I’d think about it, and also that I would ask General Greene for what he had on Odessa and pass it on to him. I was also planning on asking you, General, but I didn’t tell Fortin that.”

“And did you contact General Greene?” Gehlen asked.

“No, sir. When we came back from Vienna, Major Wallace said, ‘Let the CIC deal with that. It’s none of our business.’ And then we got involved getting the Likharevs across the border and I didn’t do anything.”

“You’d say Commandant Fortin’s idea is still active?” Mannberg asked.

Cronley nodded.

“Al, are you willing to get involved in something like this?” Wallace asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Knowing that if you find something interesting, and Odessa learns you have found—or are even looking for—something interesting, you’re liable to find yourself tossed into the Rhine?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Jim, I would like to report to El Jefe that you have decided this Odessa business is DCI-Europe’s Number One covert project,” Wallace said.

Cronley raised his hand in the manner of a Roman emperor.

“I so decree,” he pronounced solemnly. “You may so inform El Jefe.”

“El Jefe will be so pleased,” Wallace said, shaking his head and smiling.

IV

[ ONE ]

Main Dining Room

Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten

Maximilianstrasse 178

Munich, American Zone of Occupation, Germany

0815 25 January 1946

When Captain Jim Cronley walked up to the table where Lieutenants Tom Winters and Bruce Moriarty were sitting with their wives and Claudette Colbert and Freddy Hessinger, the men rose.

“Sit,” Cronley ordered. “Good morning. Sorry to be late. Major Wallace asked if I could spare him a minute, which turned out to be fifteen.”

His statement earned polite chuckles.

He pulled the chair away from the head of the table, placed a very full leather briefcase on the floor, and sat down.

A waiter appeared almost immediately and took Cronley’s order for ham and eggs, rye toast, orange juice, milk, and a coffee. Without consciously deciding to do so, he had spoken in German.

“I’m impressed,” Ginger said. “I wish I could speak German like that.”