Page 120

“That would be very nice, Dette, thank you,” Cronley said. He turned to Major Derwin. “Should I ask Miss Colbert to bring her book?”

“No. That won’t be necessary,” Derwin said firmly.

The office, now that of the chief, DCI-Europe, had formerly been the office of Colonel Robert Mattingly and reflected both the colonel’s good taste and his opinion of his own importance in the scheme of things. It therefore was larger and more elegantly furnished than Wallace’s office, and he saw that Derwin had picked up on that.

“Have a seat, please, Major,” Cronley said. “And when Miss Colbert has gotten us some coffee, you can tell me what’s on your mind.”

Derwin took a seat, holding his briefcase on his lap, but said nothing.

Dette came into the office, laid a coffee set on the table, poured, and then left.

“Okay, Major. Let’s have it,” Cronley said.

“Something has come to my attention, Cronley, that I thought, in the interest of fairness, I would ask you about before I go any further with my investigation.”

There he goes again, playing Dick Tracy. “My investigation.”

What the hell’s going on?

“Which is?”

“What would you care to tell me about your relationship with my predecessor, the late Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Schumann?”

“Excuse me?”

“And with Colonel Schumann’s wife, Mrs. Rachel Schumann?”

“Why are you asking?”

“Please, Captain Cronley, just answer the question.”

“Okay. I knew both of them.”

“How well?”

“Slightly.”

“So you’re telling me there’s nothing to the story that you tried to kill Colonel Schumann?”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake!”

“Once again, Cronley, please answer my question.”

Cronley leaned forward and depressed the intercom lever.

“Dette, would you ask Major Wallace to come in here, please? Right now?”

“Yes, sir.”

“At the moment, Cronley, I have nothing to say to Major Wallace,” Derwin said.

Wallace put his head in the door sixty seconds later.

“What’s up?”

“Come on in and close the door,” Cronley said. “And then, when no one else can hear us, please tell Major Derwin what you know about my attempt to murder the late Colonel Schumann. He’s investigating that.”

“What?” Wallace asked incredulously, chuckling. “Seriously?”