Hans also asked Rutger about the two Germans who had replaced the Jews and was told they both were from the Klement Compound. Very interesting. So they had been at the compound after Hans had left to go into business in Buenos Aires. It meant Hans was safe from the Munich police. They would never hold him, even if they did pick him up again. He began watching all three of them. There was a lot of travel between Munich and Berlin by the new police officers and to Hans’ surprise, the chief traveled to Geneva occasionally. He wondered what for?
After getting David’s medical clearance, Levi allowed him to return to work full time at the computer lab under Malcolm’s supervision.
David was anxious to learn how Malcolm created those computer age-enhanced photos, but he soon realized he’d never be able to figure that out as well as Malcolm. Malcolm claimed the program was simple. David did not think so and he had a devil of a time with keyboard commands. At first, he was only able to make changes in shades of gray. Then he learned to add and take away lines in the picture itself. He spent hours tweaking pictures learning how to get the effect he was after. He was progressing, but still had a long way to go.
Now he saw why Miriam always got so engrossed with the computer. But why did he just think of her? He liked fiddling with the computer because it took his mind off her. Now he started wondering where she was now and what she was doing. He would never admit to anyone that he had cried over her and almost went crazy with grief. That was the reason it had taken him so long to heal. If she had not insisted they would have to leave the Mossad and get married…she had broken their agreement to love but stay single.
Interrupting his thoughts, Malcolm asked if David was having a problem. “No,” David answered, “Why?”
You were so deep in thought I figured you couldn’t decide what to do next, Malcolm answered. David mumbled an answer and returned to study the picture on his monitor. He had been experimenting with a generic photo of a man’s face. When he mastered that, he would try out his new knowledge on a picture of “The Dagger.” It was David’s ultimate goal to identify and find the Nazi bastard who’d shot him. Killing the man had become an obsession, and he felt justified in doing whatever it took. He also decided that he would go after him, whether or not he worked for Mossad.
David wanted to talk again with Chief Beinschmidt to find out what he knew about “The Dagger.” Levi, however, did not like that idea of speaking directly with Beinschmidt. He said he already had him under surveillance and he did not want him disturbed in any way. He was so adamant that David did not press it further.
Hans developed the habit of driving an irregular course — from the Chief’s house to Gottschlag’s then Neuschondorf’s. He learned their wives’ schedules, too. The three women met for lunch every Thursday at the plaza. The men never came to each other’s homes though, which seemed a little odd to Hans. He went back to the library to continue his research on the Nazi regime and the personnel in Hitler’s staff looking for something more he could discover. He read a write-up on Eichmann’s capture that mentioned his father, but he never discovered any solid connection between his father and the three men here in Munich.
The evidence they had accumulated against Bruno convinced Servette and Levi that he had no interest in capturing Hans. Nobody arrived in Nice from the Munich police and whenever Servette talked with the Chief, he stuck to general business in his conversations. Servette made a point not to initiate any conversation about Hans, just to see where Bruno would go, but he no longer mentioned Hans at all. It was time for some undercover work. He called Levi again.
“We should send someone to Munich to snoop around. Do you have anyone like David who knows Beinschmidt, Levi? How is he, by the way?”
“Chomping at the bit to get out. He’s well and mostly healed. The only thing about sending him to Munich now is he’d spend all his time tracking Hans. David is obsessed about Hans. I can’t say I blame him, though.”
“Let’s hold off then. I really do not have anyone here in Geneva that could interface with our Chief. No. wait! I could send Josef. He has a special way with things like this.”
“Yes, I know he is an exceptional man, but how does he communicate with you?”
“He communicates with Max in old fashioned Morse Code by using a little metal clicker close to a telephone hand set. They can talk that way just about as fast as you and I do on the phone.”
“That’s wonderful, Piet. If you could get on it as soon as possible, I would appreciate it.”
“No problem, Levi. I will send out the troops today. Josef can drive and get there before midnight. We should have something to report in a day or two.
“Great, I’ll wait for your next call, and thanks again Piet.”
It was six months later when, quite by accident, Hans saw David talking to the Chief outside the police station. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He figured David was dead or at the least incapacitated, but there he stood, big as life. The two shook hands and David walked to his car, and Bruno went back inside the building.
Hans followed David and found himself in a non-return lane at the airport. David left the rental car and boarded a plane to Tel Aviv.
So is David the double agent? He must find out. Bruno must know David was in Mossad. It had come out in the newspaper while David was in the hospital. No self-respecting Nazi would knowingly be friendly with a Mossad agent. No informed Mossad agent would be friendly with that particular Munich police officer.
He began a thorough investigation of David. David was not with Miriam, he found. That verified what she had said when they were together — retired and moving to Australia. Hans’ adrenalin was flowing, his mind was working overtime. He felt back in his element again. In all of the months, since he had learned about Bruno he had only taken out one Jewish couple. They had been as easy to kill as the Kleins, the servants who worked for his grandfather, but he was not as motivated as he had been with the Kleins. The Kleins had led him to his emerald, but it was a tortuous path on which he remained and still just out of reach.
CHAPTER 26
When her Rome assignment was finally over, Miriam flew home to her beloved Israel. As the El Al jet flew high above a deep azure Mediterranean, she thought even though the time away from Israel had passed quickly; so many things in her life have changed. She had worked hard in Rome, but still had time for a few days away from the office. Closing her eyes, she thought how she had grown to love Italy, especially northern Italy. She would always cherish that weekend she spent at Lake Garda in the glorious restored 16th century Palazzo. She had no idea that her breath would be taken away with the wondrous view of the lake after driving up that winding mountain road. The travel brochure she had read at the tourist agency in Rome was right. Set in the hills above Salo’ the view from II Palazzo was spectacular; with vineyards just below the Palazzo and olive trees in abundance, and the lake — the lake! An aquamarine jewel set between towns and hills that surrounded it. That was one of the best vacations she had ever had ever taken. She could see herself, in her mind’s eye, sunning around the pool, tourist-like wandering carelessly through the small towns lining the lake, scuba diving and even trying to windsurf. She had gone back to the same place twice and would go again if her time in Rome had not ended.
The stewardess gently touched her shoulder and asked if she would like lunch — lunch — “Yes, thank you” — but how could she ever forget that feast in Venice on that weekend escape from Rome’s heat last July. Besides that lunch to remember for ever what was it about Venice but gondolas, the Grand Canal, music, churches, and oh yes, the Piazza San Marco, with the great Basillica and the Doge’s Palace. She would go back, someday, she promised herself.