Michael Ridpath - Shadows of War

McCaigue’s car crept through the unlit Middlesex suburbs. Fog mixed with darkness to create a dangerous murk. McCaigue, who was unaccompanied, had to split his concentration between Conrad’s story and the road ahead.

Conrad told him everything. What Inspector van Gils had said about Millie’s murder; his doubts about the evidence against Theo; how Millie had met Otto Langebrück; what Charles Bedaux had told the Germans about the weak spots in the French lines; the identity of Bedaux’s source within the British Expeditionary Force and what the Nazi leadership thought of the Duke of Windsor. Finally he told McCaigue about the presumed Gestapo agent who had tried to kill both him and Theo.

‘You do seem to bring trouble with you whenever you visit Holland, don’t you, de Lancey?’

‘I used to like the country,’ said Conrad. ‘Now I’m not so sure. For a neutral nation it seems awfully dangerous.’

‘I would stay away from there for a bit if I were you,’ said McCaigue. ‘Is your friend Theo telling the truth?’

‘About not killing Millie or about the Duke of Windsor?’

‘About both.’

‘I am sure he didn’t kill Millie. He convinced me that he had no reason to — quite the opposite. And the detective convinced me that the evidence against Theo was doubtful.’

‘I see,’ said McCaigue.

‘Was the testimony of that witness against Theo fabricated?’ Conrad asked. ‘Was Constance Scott-Dunton lying?’

McCaigue didn’t answer the question. ‘What about the Duke of Windsor? Hertenberg is betraying his country telling you all that. That’s a big step for a German officer.’

Conrad decided not to try to pin McCaigue down on the witnesses. Either McCaigue knew they were false or he didn’t. If he did, he wouldn’t admit to it to Conrad. If he didn’t, he might try to find out what was going on. That was the best Conrad could hope for.

‘He did warn me about the date of the offensive,’ Conrad said. ‘I know it didn’t happen, but I am sure the date was genuine. It was cancelled because of bad weather. The weather was bad, wasn’t it?’

‘It was,’ McCaigue conceded. ‘And the Dutch received a similar warning from Berlin. But there was no coup.’

‘Nevertheless, I do believe Theo is telling the truth about the duke,’ Conrad said. ‘That he has been passing on secrets to the Germans. I know how Theo thinks. In his view, a decisive German victory in France would be a disaster for his country. Theo genuinely believes Hitler is evil and must be removed at all costs. I saw the lengths he went to last year to try to make that happen. He’s telling the truth.’

‘Hmm.’

‘You sound as if you would rather he was lying,’ Conrad said.

‘What he has told you is very inconvenient, to put it mildly,’ said McCaigue. ‘A lot of people are not going to like it.’

‘But you are going to tell them?’

‘Oh, certainly. And despite the determination of some people to thrust their heads in the sand, it is much better to know uncomfortable truths than to not know them. Or even worse, pretend they don’t exist.’

They drove on in silence, as McCaigue mulled over what he had heard. ‘De Lancey, there is something you should know,’ he said eventually.

‘What’s that?’

‘Your loyalties are doubted in some quarters.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Some people think you are a communist. We have looked at your file: the Labour Club at Oxford; fighting for the socialists in Spain.’

Conrad snorted. ‘That’s ridiculous. The communists shot two of my best friends in Spain. In the back. And anyway the Nazis and communists are at opposite ends of the spectrum, aren’t they?’

‘One would have thought so,’ said McCaigue. ‘But then in August they teamed up to carve up Poland.’ He grinned. ‘As far as I am concerned you have just carried out a difficult mission in dangerous circumstances. I just thought I had better warn you.’

‘You will be able to convince them that I’m telling the truth, won’t you?’

‘I’ll try.’

McCaigue slammed on the brakes as the back of an Austin 7 suddenly emerged out of the gloom in front of them.

‘Major McCaigue?’

‘Yes?’

‘Do you believe me?’

‘Oh, yes,’ said McCaigue, turning to face Conrad. ‘I believe you.’

Abwehr Headquarters, Berlin

It was after ten by the time Theo arrived at Abwehr headquarters, but he was relieved to find Admiral Canaris and Colonel Oster still at work, having dined together there. He knew how vital it was to report back to them before the Gestapo realized that their man had been killed in Leiden. Unlike Conrad, he hadn’t already had a reservation on a flight from Schiphol, but he did manage to get a train to Brussels, and from there fly on to Berlin.

‘What’s wrong, Hertenberg?’ Canaris asked the instant he came into the room. ‘Not another Venlo, I hope?’

‘Not quite. But I have just been shot at, probably by a Gestapo officer. In Leiden.’

‘And where is this Gestapo officer now?’ asked Canaris.

‘He’s dead, Admiral.’

Theo noticed his direct boss, Colonel Oster, stiffen at this news, but Canaris seemed to take it calmly. Theo could see his brain begin to work through the possibilities.

‘Explain.’

So Theo explained. He didn’t divulge quite everything; he certainly didn’t admit to telling Conrad about the Duke of Windsor or about Charles Bedaux. But he did say that they had met and that Conrad was trying to find out more about his sister’s death in the sand dunes at Scheveningen, and that the British secret service seemed to have decided that Theo had killed her. Why, he wasn’t sure.

‘We know how much Heydrich dislikes de Lancey,’ Canaris said after Theo had finished. ‘And frankly I am not surprised that he took the opportunity to get him killed. But I am most unhappy that one of my officers was a target too.’

‘It’s outrageous!’ said Oster. ‘We can’t possibly have the Gestapo taking it upon themselves to murder our men. You should speak to Himmler. To the general staff. To Hitler! It cannot be permitted.’

‘No, it cannot, Hans,’ said Canaris. ‘But no doubt Heydrich would say that Hertenberg was an innocent victim caught in the crossfire. Are you sure the man who tried to kill you was alone?’

‘Yes,’ said Theo. ‘Although I suspect my contact at the university tipped off the Gestapo that we were meeting.’

‘If he was alone and he’s dead, the Gestapo won’t know what happened. They might well assume that Conrad killed him single-handedly.’

‘We can’t just turn a blind eye!’ said Oster.

‘Oh, I think we can, Hans,’ said Canaris. ‘I think that would be better all round. It’s time for one of my early-morning rides with Sturmbannführer Schellenberg.’ He picked up the phone.

Kensington, London

McCaigue deposited Conrad at his parents’ house in Kensington Square. Conrad’s mother greeted him in the hallway. She seemed calmer than he had seen her since Millie’s death, and pleased to see him in one piece.

‘Will the Dutch authorities release Millie’s body?’ she asked at once.

‘I hope so,’ said Conrad. ‘Technically they are not allowed to because of the murder investigation, but I met the policeman in charge, and he seemed sympathetic. I am sure he will do his best. I am not sure that will be enough, but there is nothing more I could do.’

‘Thank you, Conrad. I know it’s silly, but it will be a great relief to know that she is back in Somerset where she belongs.’

Conrad took his mother by the arms and kissed her forehead. ‘It’s not silly, Mama. It’s not silly at all.’

‘Did the policeman know who killed her?’