“That depends.”
“On what?”
“What you have to tell us.”
“You want the cuffs?” the other man said, but the first shook his head.
“Tell you about what?”
The man flipped open a wallet to show an FBI badge.
“Let’s start with espionage.”
AMBUSH
They separated them, taking Liesl down the hall, her eyes startled and jumpy, like a deer’s, and leading Ben into what seemed to be a lounge for the border guards, a big coffee urn in the corner. He sat at a table across from yet another agent answering questions, not complaining or hesitating, because he saw that was expected, the air hostile, and hoping the questions would tell him what had happened. All he knew was that the letter he’d given Riordan had set off an alarm in the Bureau, still ringing. After a while the questions began to repeat themselves, as if asking them again would produce different answers. But the agent was no longer bristling, settling in for the long haul. He offered Ben a coffee.
“Is this where you tell me I have the right to call a lawyer?”
“You don’t have any rights.”
“How about a cigarette then? That allowed?”
The agent put an ashtray on the table.
“Now can I ask you a question?”
“No.”
“You seem to forget. I called you. You wouldn’t be here at all if I hadn’t given you the letter. Last time I heard, we were on the same side.”
“So what’s the question?”
“Who are they? The names.”
The agent said nothing.
“Not even a day and you’re here jumping on me. I didn’t know the Bureau could act that fast. So they must mean something to you. They pop up in the files, or did you just know?”
He shook his head. “I can’t- You don’t have clearance.”
“Dennis didn’t-”
“Dennis doesn’t have clearance, either. Not even before. Not now.”
“Just you. Even though I’ve already seen them.”
“So why ask? Who do you think they are?” the agent said, turning it around.
“Communists.”
“Hardly,” the agent said, unexpectedly amused. “Let’s hope not, anyway.”
“Then how is this espionage?”
The agent looked at him over the rim of his coffee cup. “You’re in the Army. Know what an order of battle is?”
“Organization. Commanders in the field.”
“This is a kind of order of battle, okay? It’s important, that’s all I’m going to say. We need to know where it came from.”
“So do I.”
The agent raised his eyebrows.
“I think somebody on it killed my brother. Who, by the way, in case nobody told you, used to work for you.”
“I know that,” he said tersely.
“Which makes it all the worse, is that it? You think he was a spy, your own guy?”
The agent put down the cup, not responding.
“Neither do I. So you want to know two things: where it came from and where it was going. It didn’t end with Danny. What was he going to do with it? Anyway, he’s dead. And it still came. So who was it for? The only person you know it wasn’t for is me or I wouldn’t have given it to you in the first place. You following? Where it comes from I don’t know-that’s for you to figure out. But whoever it was on this end maybe I can help you with.”
The agent stared at him. “Help us how?” he said finally.
“Well, let’s talk about that. But first, can I assume that I’m not under arrest and we can start this over? Or do you want to keep grilling me?”
“For two cents I’d-”
“Except you’re flying blind here. I’ve been listening. You came all this way. Let’s talk.”
“Talk,” the agent said, his voice low, dragged out of him.
“First, Liesl. You’re not going to charge her, either-she knows less than I do-and you’re probably scaring her to death.”
“She was his wife.”
“Was,” Ben said. Is.
“And Mexico?”
“We were giving a friend a lift. Nothing illegal.”
“Dennis says-”
“Dennis isn’t even allowed to know who we’re talking about. And if he’s already told you about Kaltenbach, you know about Mexico, so we’re wasting time.”
“You don’t make friends easy.”
“Well, we started off on the wrong foot-you throwing me against a car and accusing me of things. It put me off. Can we get Liesl now?” he said, then, seeing the agent hesitate, “I’m the only shot you’ve got.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Whoever wants the letter thinks I have it. He tried to kill me for it. I think he’ll try again.”
The agent looked at him for a minute, then pushed back his chair with a scrape and walked over to the door. “I’m Agent Henderson,” he said, turning halfway.
Liesl was brought in a few minutes later, her face still pale, drained.
“You all right?”
She nodded, mute.
“I thought you’d better be here for this. It’s going to concern you.”
“Because of Heinrich?” she said, still puzzled.
“No. Danny. They think he was passing secrets.”
“What?”
“Well, receiving anyway.” He turned to Henderson. “Is that right?”
“Close enough.”
“Secrets?” Liesl said, confused, almost sputtering. “Like a spy? Daniel? No, it’s a mistake. What secrets?”
“Classified information was sent to him. By name. His address. We don’t know for how long. Once would be enough.”
“To the house?”
“The Cherokee,” Ben said. “His other name. The place was used as a mail drop.”
“I don’t believe it. How would he know-secrets.”
“He didn’t have to know them. He just had to pass them on.” Ben looked at Henderson. “Assuming he did.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“They were sent to him but we don’t know that he picked them up, do we?”
“We can assume.”
“But we can’t prove it. The guy who went over the balcony-my burglar. Ray. Police find a mail key on him?”
Henderson said nothing.
“You must have asked. Given your interest. Or didn’t anybody think of it?”
“We asked.”
“And? Great partnership,” he said when Henderson didn’t answer. “Look, I can find out anyway. But I thought there was some urgency here.” He stared at Henderson. “It’s important.”
Henderson nodded, then said, “Now tell me why.”
“Because he didn’t take mine. So he already had one. Danny’s. Which he either took from him, or which Danny never had. It’s possible somebody else picked up the mail.” He looked at Liesl. “It’s also possible Danny did. Either way.”
“And either way he’s part of it,” Henderson said. “He had to know.”
“About the mail, yes. Not necessarily what was in it.”
“Small difference.”
“Not to us,” Ben said, including Liesl. “Anyway, Ray had a key. Which means whoever hired him gave it to him. Which also means he doesn’t have it anymore. And that’s where we come in,” he said to Henderson.
“Back up,” Henderson said.
“Guy goes to the Cherokee, checks the mail but nothing’s there because I’d already picked it up. So he checks the apartment, still nothing, and after he knocks me out, he goes through my pockets and still nothing. Then he goes over. And now the police have the key. But not the letter, or all kinds of bells would be going off. So whoever hired him is stuck. No key, no letter. But he knows it was sent, so where is it?”
“You have it,” Henderson said quietly.
“Right. And the important thing is that he doesn’t know we’re having this little talk. He doesn’t know I gave it to you. Unless somebody leaks. We don’t know where he has friends.”
“Nobody’s going to leak.”
“Make sure, okay? Or he won’t move. He won’t take the bait.”
“The bait being you,” Henderson said.
Ben nodded.
“What are you talking about?” Liesl said. “Bait?”
“If the letter’s already here, I must have it. If it’s still on its way, then I’d get it. No other keys. Not to mention he won’t want to risk checking the boxes at the Cherokee. After what happened. Police might be taking an interest. So if he wants it, he has to get it from me. With any luck, before I start asking anybody about it. So he doesn’t want to see me with anybody.” He looked at Henderson. “No watchdogs. But Liesl’s a different story. That’s why I wanted you here, so you’ll know. I want you to put someone on the house,” he said to Henderson. “Not sitting out front in a hat, either. A gardener, maybe, something like that. But who’s there all the time. And somebody right behind, when she goes out. So she’s always covered.”