«Portuguese…» interrupted Tennyson, suddenly alarmed. «Oh, my God! And they used the name Cararra… Describe them!»
Holcroft did. When he had finished, Tennyson said, in a whisper, «Out of the past… Out of the past, Mr. Holcroft. It all fits. The use of the name Cararra. Portuguese Jews. Santa Catalina… They came back to Rio.»
«Who came back?»
«The Montealegres—that’s their real name. Ten, twelve years ago… What they told you was a cover, so you’d never be able to reveal their identities, even unconsciously.»
«What happened twelve years ago?»
«The details aren’t important, but we had to get them out of Rio, so we sent them to the Catarinas. Their parents helped the Israelis; they were killed for it. The two children were hunted; they would have been shot, too. They had to be taken south.»
«Then there are people in the Catarinas who know about you?»
«Yes, a few. Our base of operations was in Santa Catarina. Rio was too dangerous.»
«What operations? Who’s ‘we’?»
«Those of us in Brazil who fought the ODESSA.» Tennyson shook his head. «I have an apology to make. Helden was right: I did you an injustice. You’ve told the truth.»
Noel had the sensation of having been vindicated when vindication had not been sought. He felt awkward questioning a man who had fought the ODESSA; who had rescued children from death as surely as if he’d taken them out of Auschwitz, or Belsen; who had trained the woman he loved to survive. But he had questions; it was no time to forget them.
«It’s my turn now,» said Noel. «You’re very quick, and you know about things I’ve never heard of, but I’m not sure you’ve said a hell of a lot.»
«If one of your questions concerns the Tinamou,» said Tennyson, «I’m sorry, but I won’t answer you. I won’t even discuss it.»
Holcroft was stunned. «You won’t what?»
«You heard me. The Tinamou is a subject I won’t discuss. It’s not your business.»
«I think it is! For starters, let’s put it this way: If you won’t discuss the Tinamou, we haven’t anything to discuss.»
Tennyson paused, startled. «You mean that, don’t you?»
«Absolutely.»
«Then try to understand me. Nothing can be left to chance now, to the offhand possibility—no matter how remote—that the wrong word might be dropped to the wrong person. If I’m right, and I think I am, you’ll have your answer in a matter of days.»
«That’s not good enough!»
«Then I’ll go one step further. The Tinamou was trained in Brazil. By the ODESSA. I’ve studied him as thoroughly as any man on earth. I’ve been tracking him for six years.»
It took several seconds for Noel to find his voice. «You’ve been … for six years?»
«Yes. It’s time for the Tinamou to strike; there’ll be another assassination. It’s why the British contacted you; they know it, too.»
«Why don’t you work with them? For God’s sake, do you know what they think!»
«I know what someone’s tried to make them think. It’s why I can’t work with them. The Tinamou has sources everywhere; they don’t know him, but he uses them.»
«You said a matter of days.»
«If I’m wrong, I’ll tell you everything. I’ll even go to the British with you.»
«A matter of days… Okay. We’ll pass on the Tinamou—for a matter of days.»
«Whatever else I can tell you, I will. I’ve nothing to hide.»
«You knew Beaumont in Rio, knew he was part of the ODESSA. You even accused me of having gotten his name from Graff. Yet in spite of all this, he married your sister. ODESSA to ODESSA? Are you one of them?»
Tennyson did not waver. «A question of priorities. Put simply, it was planned. My sister Gretchen is not the woman she once was, but she’s never lost her hatred of the Nazis. She’s made a sacrifice greater than any of us. We know every move that Beaumont makes.»
«But he knows you’re Von Tiebolt! Why doesn’t he tell Graff?»
«Ask him, if you like. He may tell you.»
«You tell me.»
«He’s afraid to,» replied Tennyson. «Beaumont is a pig. Even his commitments lack cleanliness. He works less and less for the ODESSA, and only then when they threaten him.»
«I don’t understand.»
«Gretchen has her own … shall we say, persuasive powers; I think you’re aware of them. Beyond these, a large sum of untraceable money found its way into Beaumont’s account. In addition to these circumstances, he fears exposure from Graff on one side … and from me on the other. He’s useful to us both, more so to me than to Graff, of course. He’s checkmated.»
«If you knew every move he made, you had to know he was on that plane to Rio. You had to know he was following me.»
«How could I? I didn’t know you.»
«He was there. Someone sent him!»
«When Helden told me, I tried to find out who. What I learned was very little, but enough to alarm me. In my judgment, our checkmated pig was reached by a third party. Someone who had unearthed his ODESSA connection and was using him—as Graff used him. As I used him.»
«Who?»
«I wish to heaven I knew! He was granted an emergency leave from his ship in the Mediterranean. He went to Geneva.»
«Geneva?» Noel’s memory raced back. To a fragment of time obscured by swift movement, and rushing crowds, and screams … on a station platform. On a concrete station platform. A fight had broken out; a man had arched backward with blood on his shirt, another had gone after a third… A man in panic had raced by, his eyes wide in fright, beneath … thick eyebrows of black and white hair. «That was it,» said Holcroft, astonished. «Beaumont was in Geneva.»
«I just told you that.»
«That’s where I saw him! I couldn’t remember where before. He followed me from Geneva.»
«I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.»
«Where’s Beaumont now?» asked Noel.
«Back on board ship. Gretchen left several days ago to join him. In Saint-Tropez, I think.»
Tomorrow I go to the Mediterranean. To a man I loathe… Everything made so much more sense now. Perhaps Tennyson was not the only man in that room who had been unfair in his judgments.
«We’ve got to find out who sent Beaumont after me,» said Noel, picturing the man in a black leather jacket. Tennyson was right; their conclusions were the same. There was someone else.
«I agree,» said the blond man. «Shall we go together?»
Holcroft was tempted. But he had not finished. There could be no unanswered questions later. Not once the commitment had been made between them.
«Maybe,» he replied. «There are two other things I want to ask you about. And I warn you, I want the answers now, not in a ‘matter of days.’»
«All right.»
«You killed someone in Rio.»
Tennyson’s eyes narrowed. «Helden told you.»
«I had to know; she understood that. There are conditions in Geneva that won’t allow surprises. If you can be blackmailed, I can’t let you go on.»
Tennyson nodded. «I see.»
«Who was it? Whom did you kill?»
«You mistake my reticence,» replied the blond man. «I’ve no compunction whatsoever about telling you who it was. I’m trying to think how you can check up on what I say. There’s no blackmail involved. There couldn’t be; but how can you be sure?»
«Let’s start with a name.»