The Last Heroes (Men at War 1)

‘‘Presuming,’’ Donovan said, getting back to the problem at hand, ‘‘that we can find a casket that fits in Baker’s station wagon, we’ll have Edward drive the body to New Jersey.’’

‘‘I’ll go with him,’’ Cynthia Chenowith said.

‘‘You think that’s necessary?’’ Donovan asked after a moment.

‘‘Mr. Whittaker,’’ she said levelly, ‘‘was very good to me. It’s the least I can do. I want to. I can probably be helpful.’’

Donovan nodded.

‘‘Get on the phone, Pete,’’ he said. ‘‘Arrange with the funeral home for a casket. Tell them we’ll pick it up in an hour.’’

Eldon C. Baker arrived a few minutes later. He did not seem very surprised to find Colonel Donovan, a sailor, and an attractive young woman in the kitchen of a mansion; and he asked no questions.

‘‘We have something of a problem here,’’ Douglass said.

‘‘What were you doing at the office?’’ Donovan asked somewhat abruptly.

‘‘I had hoped to see either you or Captain Douglass, Colonel, ’’ Baker said. ‘‘There has been an interesting development in the Moroccan business.’’

Donovan didn’t reply to that.

‘‘I didn’t mean to interrupt, Pete,’’ he said.

‘‘As I was saying,’’ Douglass began, ‘‘we have a difficult situation here, and need your help. Specifically, we need to use your station wagon for a couple of days.’’

‘‘Certainly,’’ Baker said.

Douglass told Baker the story the police had been told. He had the feeling from looks Baker directed at Cynthia Chenowith that Baker knew he was being lied to, but Baker asked no questions.

‘‘Whatever I can do to help, of course,’’ he said when Douglass had finished. ‘‘When can we pick up the body?’’

‘‘I’ll do that,’’ Donovan said, ‘‘in forty-five minutes.’’

‘‘Then, sir, may I get into the Moroccan matter?’’

‘‘You think it’s important?’’ Donovan said.

‘‘Yes, sir,’’ Baker said. ‘‘I do.’’

‘‘Cynthia,’’ Donovan said, ‘‘I’m afraid this is rather confidential. Could I ask you to leave us alone for a few minutes?’’

‘‘Why don’t you go in the library?’’ Cynthia asked. ‘‘It’d be more comfortable in there.’’

‘‘You’ll be all right?’’ Donovan asked.

‘‘Yes,’’ she said simply.

‘‘All right,’’ Donovan said, and led the way into the library.

‘‘OK, Baker,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘What’s so important?’’

‘‘I don’t know how deeply Captain Douglass has gone into this with you,’’ Baker began.

‘‘Not at all,’’ Douglass said. ‘‘So you’ll have to start at the beginning.’’

‘‘This came into my hand about one-thirty this afternoon, ’’ Baker said, handing Donovan a sheet of yellow Teletype paper, so blurry that Donovan thought it must be fifth or sixth carbon.

URGENT