“Thanks Hans. If something changes I will let you know. But you know the major. He’s usually right about things.”
“Ja, I remember. Be careful Michael. You’re too old to get careless.”
“I will Hans. Keep in touch.” The line went dead.
Mahler hung up the phone and looked back at the pay book. He called in two assistants. “We have a special project. I want to know everything there is to know about an SS unit called special unit four. I want to know where it was, what it did and who was assigned. Call in any help you need. This has top priority until we have the answers. Here are some initial indications,” Mahler said as he handed over the files on his desk. “Report to me every day.”
The two men took the records and left the office. Within an hour, fourteen people were combing through every file from the Third Reich looking for special unit four.
Dresner sat with Eric Anderson to wish him well on his return to the United States. He was very sorry he could not go along but with the current cases there was just no way to do so. He apologized to Eric, who understood perfectly.
“Don’t worry, Herr Dresner. I know you would go if you could. What you are doing is more important. Anna and I will be gone about a week, then return. I plan on staying here through Christmas anyway.”
“Well, hopefully there will be a break in the case by that time. I feel we are getting very close. Until then just take care of yourself. I know what it is like to lose a family. It can be a very painful thing,” said Dresner softly.
Eric could see that pained expression again. It stayed a little longer this time. He took a small chance. “I heard you lost your family during the war. I’m sorry,” he said.
Dresner looked up at Eric and gave a weak smile. “Yes, my family lived in Dresden. You may have heard of the firebombing late in the war? They were all there — my father and mother, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles,” he paused a second, “and my wife and young son.” Dresner gave a sigh. “So I guess I know a little about what you are going through. I wanted to offer what support I can,” he said.
Eric smiled. “Dad used to call things like this ‘little ties.’ It’s the little things that bring people together. Now you and I have two ties. Both involved Dad. You were his friend. I hadn’t realized how good a friend until I came here. His death gave us something more in common. Thanks for helping me through this.”
Dresner tilted his head. “When my loss happened I thought I was alone. It turned out my men took care of me. They were there for me when I needed them. Just know there are people here ready to help you as well.”
“I know that. You are almost like family now. Herr Dietz and his family are there for me too. And I know Anna is here. I guess we were both lucky. We had people who cared.”
“Yes Eric. We are both lucky. When will you ask Anna?”
“While we are in Virginia. I figure she will want a big wedding here.”
“I can promise you a police escort,” Dresner said with a grin. Both started laughing at that.
The door to the room opened and Anna and Helga came in. “We’re ready,” Anna announced. She had a piece of luggage in her hand.
“Good. For a minute there I thought I would have to go without you,” Eric said as he stood and picked up his suitcase.
“Then let’s get going,” said Dresner. The four of them left the Dietz house and climbed into Dresner’s personal car, a Mercedes 190B. Within a few minutes they were at the airport.
It was a tearful departure, at least for Helga. She had grown very fond of Eric and Anna. For practical purposes she had adopted them as her own and was a little anxious about making such a long trip. As the turboprop plane taxied away from the terminal she waved until it rounded the corner of the building. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Helga turned to Dresner and gave him a smile. “Thank you for putting up with the emotions of an old woman,” she said.
Dresner laughed and offered her his arm. “It is good to be around very normal people once in a while. With what I do you don’t see that many.”
Helga laughed and patted him on the arm. “Oh Rolf, you are a good man,” she said. “People here speak so highly of you. And I know Eric thinks the world of you.”
“He’s a good boy. And Anna is a very fine young woman. You can tell they are going to be very happy together.”
Helga sighed. “Yes they will. I hate they have to start off by burying his family. It is a terrible thing. You and I have lived through such things, but our children shouldn’t have to deal with it at such a young age.”
“I know,” said Dresner. “But between us, we should be able to get them through it,” he said with a grin.
Helga smiled and leaned into him for a moment. “That, we shall do Rolf. That, we shall do.”
Dresner opened the door for Helga and she eased into the front seat of the car. After getting in and starting the engine he pulled the small Mercedes out of the airport parking lot and into the traffic leading to Innsbruck.
“It was very nice of you to let me come to the airport to see them off,” said Helga as they rode along.
“It’s my pleasure,” Dresner said.
“Yes, but it means you must take me back to the house. It’s a long way.”
“I don’t mind. It gives me a break from the casework,” he said. Dresner shrugged his shoulders as he drove. There are things about the Anderson case that keep scratching at me. It is like I am missing something that is staring me in the face. I know somehow all the cases I am working on are connected. But it keeps eluding me.” Dresner stopped when he realized he was venting his frustrations. “I’m sorry. I don’t need to be telling you such things,” he said.
Helga laughed. “And who else have you had the chance to say such things to? You don’t have to be concerned. I wouldn’t know anything about what you do. We are the same age and we have gone through some tough times ourselves. So if you need the chance to talk just talk. I don’t mind listening. Just don’t expect and real answers,” she said with a chuckle.
Dresner grinned. “I appreciate that. Sometimes the job seems a little overwhelming but I manage. This one has us all scratching our heads,” he said.
A large diesel fuel truck passed them on the highway. The wind gave the car a little shove as it went by.
Helga grimaced. “I hate those big trucks,” she said disgustedly. “One almost ran me off the road the night the Andersons were killed,” she said.
Dresner’s eyes shot up. “What happened?”
“I was on my way home and this smelly old thing came bounding down the road. I pulled over as far as I could and he just kept coming as fast as ever. He was so close the smoke he was blowing out came through my windows,” she said.
“Where were you?”
“On the road leading to the house, just after turning off the main road leading up the valley,” she said.
Something clicked in Dresner’s mind. The road leading to the house was a dead end. No traffic should have been on it. “Can you tell me what kind of truck it was?”
Helga shrugged. “One of those very big ones with a large tank on the back. In my lights I could tell it was a greenish brown.” She thought a moment. “And there was only one headlamp working. “Why. Is it important?” she asked.
Dresner’s mind began to race. Someone had used a truck to steal the acid. Those kinds of trucks had dual wheels in the back which would match the tire marks near where the Andersons had been pushed over the side of the road. And on the night of Mantz’s murder they had been passed by a truck exactly matching that description. This wasn’t the key piece of evidence but it sure was pointing in the right direction. Dresner smiled at Helga. “It may be very important. Even though you don’t know anything about my work you have just made it a little easier,” he said.