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“Transcribe them accurately and in full, give them to Freddy, who already knows everything, and don’t tell Freddy we had this little chat. Questions?”

“No, sir,” she said, then, “Yes, one. A big one. Where the hell did I get the idea you’re naïve and innocent?”

“Does that mean I’ve lost the erotic appeal that went along with that?”

“Perish the thought! I meant nothing of the kind!”

“Put the car in gear, please, Miss Colbert. Before we get in trouble, we better go see the general.”

She did so, and then parroted, “‘We better go see the general’?”

“Yeah. I think it’s important that you get to know one another. And when we finish, you can bring Freddy up to speed on what he had to say. Thereby sparing me from having to do so.”

[THREE]

Office of the U.S. Military Government Liaison Officer

The South German Industrial Development Organization Compound

Pullach, Bavaria

The American Zone of Occupied Germany

1205 16 January 1946

As they were passing through the final roadblock and into the inner compound, the massive sergeant manning it, when he was sure Colbert was concentrating on the striped barrier pole as it rose, winked at Cronley and gave him a thumbs-up in appreciation of her physical attributes. Cronley winked back.

When they went into the “Military Government” building, they found General Reinhard Gehlen, Colonel Ludwig Mannberg, Major Konrad Bischoff, and Captain Chauncey Dunwiddie sitting around a coffee table.

“Oh, I’m so glad you could finally find time for us in your busy schedule,” Dunwiddie greeted Cronley sarcastically. “Where the hell were you?”

Cronley’s mouth went on automatic: “‘Where the hell were you, sir?’ is the way you ask that question, Captain Dunwiddie,” he snapped.

His anger dissipated as quickly as it had arisen. “What the hell’s the matter with you, Tiny? You got out of the wrong side of the bed?” He turned to Gehlen and the others. “Sorry to be late. Couldn’t be helped. I was being interrogated by Major Derwin.”

“The CIC IG?” Tiny asked incredulously. “What was that about?”

“This is getting out of hand,” Cronley said. “Time out.” He made the Time out signal with his hands.

“This meeting is called to order by the chief, DCI-Europe, who yields to himself the floor. First order of business: Gentlemen, this is Miss Claudette Colbert. She is now Mr. Hessinger’s deputy for administration. She comes to us from the ASA, where she held all the proper security clearances. You already know Colonel Mannberg, Dette, and you may know Captain Dunwiddie. That’s former Major Konrad Bischoff, of General Gehlen’s staff, and this, of course, is General Gehlen.”

“Mannberg has been telling me about you, Fraulein,” Gehlen said, and bobbed his head. “Welcome!”

“Your call, General,” Cronley said. “Do you want to start with why you wanted to see me, or why I was delayed getting out here?”

“Actually, I’m curious about the major,” Gehlen said. “Derwin, you said?”

“Yes, sir. Major Thomas G. Derwin. When Colonel Schumann died, Major Derwin was sent from the CIC School to replace him as the CIC/ASA inspector general. When I was a student at the CIC School, I was in Major Derwin’s classes on the Techniques of Surveillance. Major Derwin was known to me and my fellow students as ‘Dick Tracy.’”

“I gather he is not one of your favorite people,” Gehlen said drily. “What did he want?”

“He said he wanted to ask me about credible rumors he’d heard about (a) my having an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with the late Mrs. Schumann, and (b) that I had attempted to murder Colonel Schumann at Kloster Grünau.”

“And what did you tell him, Jim?” Mannberg asked.

“I asked Major Wallace to join us. He explained to Major Derwin what had happened at Kloster Grünau when Colonel Schumann had insisted on going in, and told Major Derwin that the idea I had had an inappropriate relationship with Mrs. Schumann was absurd.”

“Jim,” Tiny said, “are you sure you want Sergeant Colbert to hear this?”