W. IV - Honor Bound 05 - The Honor of Spies

"Sorry, Nowicki," Frade said. "It doesn't look as if you're going to get to shoot him."

Peralta chuckled.

"From this moment, Captain Sawyer," Clete said, "while he has the freedom of the compound, I want someone watching Moller twenty-four hours a day. If he tries to escape, kill him. And tell him if his wife tries to escape, we'll kill both of them."

"Yes, sir," Sawyer said.

XV

[ONE]

Calle Talcahuano 207

Buenos Aires, Argentina

1020 4 October 1943

When SS-Brigadefuhrer Ritter Manfred von Deitzberg had telephoned the German Embassy almost immediately after stepping ashore from the motor vessel Ciudad de Cadiz in Buenos Aires, he asked for "Commercial Counselor" Cranz.

"One moment, please, Senor."

A moment later, a voice announced somewhat arrogantly: "Herr Cranz is not available."

"With whom have I the pleasure of speaking?"

"This is Assistant Commercial Counselor Raschner."

"He's not available, Raschner, or he can't be troubled talking to ordinary people?" von Deitzberg snapped.

"Who is this?" Raschner had asked. Most of the arrogance was gone from his voice, telling von Deitzberg that Raschner had recognized his voice.

Von Deitzberg hadn't deigned to reply directly.

"I need to talk to you, and Cranz, somewhere where we won't be seen together, without the ambassador knowing, and right now. Do not use my name or rank when you reply."

There was only a moment's delay.

"At the rear of the Colon Opera House, Mein Herr, is the Cafe Colon. We can be there in thirty minutes, if that is satisfactory, Mein Herr."

"Weren't you listening when I said, 'somewhere where we won't be seen together'?"

"What I respectfully suggest, Mein Herr, is that when you see me come into the Cafe Colon and then leave, you leave yourself and follow me to a place where no one will see us together."

"Thirty minutes, Raschner," von Deitzberg said, and hung up.

It took nearly that long for von Deitzberg to find a taxi and then be driven to the Cafe Colon.

He had just been served a cafe con crema --which came with a little cup full of solid lumps of real cream, and a little spoon, which triggered the thoughts that Buenos Aires was really a beautiful city-- indeed "The Paris of South America," as they said--and that the Colon Opera House was larger than the opera houses in Berlin, Paris, and Vienna; and that in 1939 Argentina was said to have the largest gold reserves in the world; and that all things considered--such as that Berlin was already half destroyed and the rest would certainly soon be--Buenos Aires was a pretty nice place in which to live --when Raschner walked through the door. He looked around the cafe long enough to spot and be spotted by von Deitzberg and then turned and left.

Von Deitzberg decided that appreciatively drinking his cafe con crema was more important than jumping up to join Raschner, and did so.

When he finally left the Cafe Colon, he saw Raschner standing near the corner but did not at first see Cranz. His temper flared until he spotted him standing on the corner of the street diagonally across from Raschner.

When he started to walk toward Raschner, Raschner crossed the street, walked toward Cranz and then past him, taking a gravel walk that ran diagonally through a small park.

Von Deitzberg saw that Cranz was now bringing up the rear. Raschner crossed another street and then entered the lobby of a building near the corner. As von Deitzberg approached the door, he saw that the Argentine version of a concierge was holding open an elevator door, obviously waiting for von Deitzberg. When he got on the elevator and turned, he saw that Cranz was about to get on.

Not a word or a look of recognition was exchanged as the elevator rode slowly upward, nor as Raschner opened it and stepped out to put a key into one of the two doors opening on the elevator landing.

Von Deitzberg and Cranz followed Raschner into the apartment.

Raschner popped to attention, his right arm shot out, and he barked "Heil Hitler!" After a moment, Cranz repeated the gesture.

Von Deitzberg returned the greeting casually without the "Heil Hitler!"

"What is this place?" he asked.

"It is the former Frogger apartment, Herr Brigadefuhrer," Cranz said.

"The name I am using is Jorge Schenck," von Deitzberg said. "Use that only, please."

"Jawohl, Herr Schenck," both Cranz and Raschner said, almost in unison.

"Senor Schenck," von Deitzberg corrected them.

"Jawohl, Senor Schenck," they said, together.

"I want to talk about those swine," von Deitzberg said. "But right now, I want a cup of coffee, with cream. And some sweet rolls. The voyage from Montevideo was tiring; I hardly slept, and my breakfast was inadequate."

"There's a cafe around the corner," Cranz said. "Actually, there's a cafe around every corner in Buenos Aires. But this one, the Cafe Flora, delivers."

"And the telephone is still operable?"

Cranz nodded.

"Then get on it, and have this Cafe Flora bring us some coffee with cream, real cream; make sure they bring enough, and some sweet rolls. Lots of both--what we have to discuss may take some time."

"Raschner," Cranz ordered, and pointed toward a telephone on the table.

"Herr Obersturmbannfuhrer," von Deitzberg said icily. "I told you to get on the phone."

Cranz's face flushed, but he walked quickly toward the telephone.

"The number is on the first page of that little phone book, Herr Obersturmbannfuhrer," Raschner said, helpfully.

"So, Erich," von Deitzberg said. "What can you tell me about the Froggers?"

"So what you are telling me," von Deitzberg said, "is that the Froggers may be on Frade's estancia or they may be in the foothills of the Andes, on another of Frade's estancias--no one knows for sure?"

"Oberst Schmidt is working on an idea to see if they are in Mendoza," Raschner said.

"And how close is Oberst Schmidt to putting his idea into play?" von Deitzberg asked.

As Cranz opened his mouth, von Deitzberg went on: "Well, let me tell you why I am so interested in the Froggers: I am, of course, determined to comply with my orders from Reichsfuhrer-SS Himmler to eradicate them wherever and whenever found.

"But there is more to it than that. One of the things I did in Montevideo was to shut down the confidential fund operation. I can tell you now that the Reichsfuhrer never knew anything about it.

"Both of you know the Reichsfuhrer well enough to guess how he would react to learning that some of his closest subordinates were involved. . . ."

"Jesus Christ!" Raschner blurted. "Himmler didn't know?"

"Do you think he will find out?" Cranz asked.

"One of the ways to make that less likely is to comply with his orders that the Froggers be eliminated," von Deitzberg said. "Wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you say that should be our highest priority?"

"Von Tresmarck!" Raschner said. "That queer sonofabitch has to go! And that whore of a wife of his! She has to know a lot about the confidential fund."

"If you will do me the courtesy of hearing me out, Erich, I was about to get to the von Tresmarcks."

"Sorry."

"If von Tresmarck were to be eliminated, our colleagues in Germany would wonder why that was necessary under the circumstances. They would also wonder what was going to happen to their share of their assets in the confidential fund. . . ."

The doorbell rang.

"Ah, that must be our Kaffee mit schlagobers!" von Deitzberg said. "Be so good as to answer the door, Erich."

"I was thinking just before," von Deitzberg said as he set his coffee cup down, "in the Cafe Colon, when I had one of these, that it will probably be a very long time before Kaffee mit schlagobers is again available in Demel in Vienna. There might not even be a Demel in Vienna after the war. Or, for that matter, a Vienna--or a Berlin--that any of us would recognize."