«But how would they know about Geneva?»
«Millions stolen from the occupied countries, from Wehrmacht payrolls, from the Finanzministerium. All banked in Switzerland. Such massive manipulations could not be kept completely secret.»
Something bothered Noel, something Kessler had just said, but he could not put his finger on it. «But what good would it do them? They can’t get the money. They could only tie it up in the courts for years. Where do they benefit?»
«You don’t understand the hard-core Nazi. None of you ever did. It’s not merely how he can benefit. It’s of equal importance to him that others do not benefit. That was his essential destructiveness.»
There was a sudden, loud commotion outside the booth. A single crash, then several; followed by a woman’s scream that triggered other screams.
The curtain across the booth was yanked aside. The figure of a man loomed suddenly in the open space and plunged forward, falling over the table, his eyes wide and staring, blood streaming from his mouth and his neck. His face was contorted, his body wracked with convulsions; his hands lurched over the surface of the table, gripping the sides between Holcroft and Kessler. He whispered, gasping for air,
«Wolfsschanze! Soldaten von Wolfsschanze!»
He raised his head in the start of a scream. His breath was forced out of him, and his head crashed down on the table. The man in the black leather jacket was dead.
26
The next moments were as bewildering to Noel as they were chaotic. The screaming and the shouting grew louder; waves of panic spread throughout the pub. The blood-soaked man had slipped off the table and was now sprawled on the floor.
«Rudi! Rudi!»
«Herr Kessler! Come with me!»
«Quickly!» yelled Erich.
«What?»
«This way, my friend. You can’t be seen here.»
«But he’s the one!»
«Say nothing, Noel. Please, take my arm.»
«What? Where?…»
«Your briefcase! The papers!»
Holcroft grabbed the papers and shoved them into the case. He felt himself being pulled into a circle of onlookers. He was not sure where he was being taken, but that it was away from the dead man in the black leather jacket was enough. He followed blindly.
Kessler pulled him through the crowd. In front of Kessler was the manager, parting the bodies in their path, the path that led to a closed door beneath and to the left of the staircase. The manager took a key from his pocket, opened the door, and rushed the three of them inside. He slammed the door shut and turned to Kessler.
«I don’t know what to say, gentlemen! It’s terrible. A drunken brawl.»
«No doubt, Rudi. And we thank you,» replied Kessler.
«Natürlich. A man of your stature can’t be involved.»
«You’re most kind. Is there a way outside?»
«Yes. My private entrance. Over here.»
The entrance led into an alleyway. «This way,» Kessler said. «My car’s on the street.»
They hurried out of the alley into the Kurfürstendamm, turning left on the sidewalk. To the right, an excited crowd had gathered in front of the pub’s entrance. Farther on, Noel could see a policeman running up the street.
«Quickly,» said Kessler.
The car was a vintage Mercedes; they climbed in. Kessler started the engine, but did not idle it. Instead, he put the car in gear and sped west.
«That man … in the jacket … he was the one who followed me,» Holcroft whispered.
«I gathered as much,» answered Kessler. «He found his way back, after all.»
«My God,» cried Noel. «What did I do?»
«You didn’t kill him, if that’s what you mean.»
Holcroft stared at Kessler. «What?»
«You didn’t kill that man.»
«The gun went off! He was shot.»
«I don’t doubt it. But the bullet didn’t kill him.»
«What did then?»
«Obviously you didn’t see his throat. He had been garroted.»
«Baldwin in New York!»
«Wolfsschanze in Berlin,» answered Kessler. «His death was timed to the split second. Someone in that restaurant outside the booth, brought him to within feet of our table and used the noise and the crowd to cover the execution.»
«Oh, Jesus! Then whoever it was …» Noel could not finish the statement; fear was making him ill. He wanted to vomit.
«Whoever it was,» completed Kessler, «knows now that I am part of Geneva. So, you have your answer; for I have no choice. I’m with you.»
«I’m sorry,» said Holcroft. «I wanted you to have a choice.»
«I know you did, and I thank you for it. However, I must insist on one condition.»
«What’s that?»
«My brother, Hans, in Munich, must be made part of the covenant.»
Noel recalled Manfredi’s words; there were no restrictions in this respect. The only stipulation was that each family had one vote. «There’s nothing to prevent him, if he wants to.»
«He’ll want to. We are very close. You’ll like him. He’s a fine doctor.»
«I’d say you were both fine doctors.»
«He heals. I merely expound… I’m also driving aimlessly. I’d ask you out to my house, but under the circumstances I’d better not.»
«I’ve done enough damage. But you should get back as soon as you can.»
«Why?»
«If we’re lucky, nobody’ll give your name to the police, and it won’t matter. But if someone does—a waiter or anybody who knows you—you can say you were on your way out when it happened.»
Kessler shook his head. «I’m a passive man. Such thoughts would not have occurred to me.»
«Three weeks ago they wouldn’t have occurred to me, either. Let me off near a taxi stand. I’ll go to my hotel and get my suitcase.»
«Nonsense. I’ll drive you.»
«We shouldn’t be seen together anymore. That’s asking for complications.»
«I must learn to listen to you. When will we see each other, then?»
«I’ll call you from Paris. I’m meeting with Von Tiebolt in a day or so. Then the three of us have to get to Geneva. There’s very little time left.»
«That man in New York? Miles?»
«Among other things. I’ll explain when I see you again. There’s a taxi on the corner.»
«What will you do now? I doubt there are planes at this hour.»
«Then I’ll wait at the airport. I don’t want to be isolated in a hotel room.» Kessler stopped the car; Holcroft reached for the door. «Thank you, Erich. And I’m sorry.»
«Don’t be, my friend Noel. Call me.»
The blond-haired man sat rigidly behind the desk in Kessler’s library. His eyes were furious, his voice strained and intense as he spoke.
«Tell me again. Every word. Leave out nothing.»
«What’s the point?» replied Kessler from across the room. «We’ve gone over it ten times. I’ve remembered everything.»
«Then we shall go over it ten more times!» shouted Johann von Tiebolt. «Thirty times, forty times! Who was he? Where did he come from? Who were the two men in Montereau? They’re linked; where did all three come from?»
«We don’t know,» said the scholar. «There’s no way to tell.»
«But there is! Don’t you see? The answer’s in what that man said to Holcroft in the alley. I’m certain of it. I’ve heard the words before. It’s there!»
«For God’s sake, you had the man.» Kessler spoke firmly. «If you couldn’t learn anything from him, what makes you think we can from anything Holcroft said? You should have broken him.»