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“Go ahead.”
“I knew about Richter and Baumgartner. Knew they were sleeping together. I also knew his criminal activity was increasing. I didn’t go to Schmid about it.”
“Why does Ehren blame you for this guy’s death?”
“He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in the middle of a sting. There was a shoot-out, and he was one of three men killed that night.”
“Did you shoot him?”
Schön shook her head. “It wasn’t me.”
“Do you know who it was?”
“Two bullets hit him. Fuchs fired one. Drachen, the other. Either could’ve killed him.”
“I’m back to wondering why she blames you.”
“My op.” Schön sat beside me. “Look, I don’t want this to interfere with the AMPS investigation. I can leave?—”
“Don’t even think about it.”
Her mouth gaped. “You don’t know what I was about to say.”
“You were going to offer to leave the coalition.”
“At the end of the mission. Not now. Not before I see it through.”
“We’ll talk about it when the time comes. However, be prepared for me to be just as intransigent about it then as I am now.”
“Yes, sir,” she responded, cheeks pink.
“Tell me more about Schmid.”
“I never trusted him. Then, Uncle Henri was so angry when I told him the types of missions I was being assigned to—honey traps—that he pulled me straight off the op I was on. I’m sure Schmid got an earful over it too.”
“You were with the agency for three years. Why didn’t Baissier pull you sooner?”
“At first, the ops were sporadic. After Baumgartner was killed, they increased to the point where they were the only types of missions I was given.”
“Did Fuchs and Drachen step forward, admitting they were the ones who shot Baumgartner?” I asked.
“They never tried to hide it. There’s always an internal affairs investigation when deaths occur, but all three were ruled to be justified.”
“She lied,” I mumbled.
“Who did?”
“Ehren. When she told me about the death of one of her informants, I asked whether IA looked into it. She said they didn’t.”
Schön shook her head. “I’m not surprised she didn’t tell the truth.”
I looked up when we heard someone approach. “It’s Macht.”
“Sorry to interrupt, but I thought you’d want to know security footage from a neighboring chalet shows the man who set the fire. He’s been arrested.”
“Is he connected to the Kuppe gang?” Schön asked.
“Yes.”