The Day of the Guns (11 page)

“Not really,” I said.

“It isn’t over yet, Tiger. They’ll make another try.”

“Naturally. This time I’ll keep somebody alive long enough to talk about it.”

“You do that.”

“Why sure. Now I want a favor from your department.”

“This isn’t a joint effort on
our
part, Mann. You are to do the cooperating.”

“Stow it, friend. If it doesn’t work both ways count me out. It means you’re too stupid to work with at all.”

Watford ignored the insult, looked at the other one, then back to me. “What is it you want?”

“A tail on Edith Caine. Twenty-four hours, rotating teams and all contacts tailed individually. Secondary contacts tailed too and stake-outs on everyone involved.”

“How long is this to last?”

“A week should do it.”

Watford said, “You know what this will entail in personnel and cost involved, I imagine.”

“If the government can finance Tito and underwrite wheat shipments to Russia I think it can stand a few grand and some men to protect its policies. If you want me to I’ll put our own group on this, but that would mean losing a day in the race and I don’t think any of us can afford it.”

Neither of them answered me directly. Finally Watford asked,“What do you expect to find?”

“When it happens you’ll know it. We’ll consolidate our reports and pick it apart from there.” I stopped and looked at them both. “Do we have a deal?”

“For a week,” the big guy said.

“That should do it,” I told him. “From now on I won’t make any direct contact with you unless it’s absolutely necessary, but if you get anything I’m at the Chester Hotel.”

“Wide open?”

“You don’t hide a target, friend, and that’s what you want me to be. A pro won’t find me too hard to locate, but for anybody else it won’t be easy.”

Watford had a satisfied look on his face. “I’m glad you’re asking for it,” he said.

“Don’t hold your breath waiting for me to be scratched,” I said.

“It’s bound to happen. We’ll all be better off when it does.”

“Drop dead,” I told him. But I was grinning.

I went downstairs and started walking back to the hotel. I stayed with the crowd, taking my time all the way, doing my thinking as I walked. A lot of things were beginning to tie in now, but the big apple hadn’t been plucked yet.

It was cute, the way they were working it, calling in outside men rather than involve their own. Rondine wanted no strings tying her into this bit at all. She was passing it down the line to other hands and letting them make the contacts.

Everything figured out nicely. The try for a hit right after I met her. It wouldn’t have been hard to find me where I was. Until I saw Rondine I wasn’t using a cover at all. I was between assignments from Grady and marking time. I had two weeks in New York with plenty of loot in my pocket and I was going to enjoy myself. Until I saw her again. She sure worked fast, but then again, she had to. I could jeopardize her entire operation whatever it was and she didn’t want to give me the chance. She knew damn well what I’d do.

She had had my hotel staked out when they made the second try that I spotted. When I made the tail I was thinking of it then because it’s what I would have done myself. If I had played it cool I would have switched hotels after the first attempt, but I wanted her right out in the open where she’d be left cold.

They missed then too because I
was
smart enough to get the other room on the floor with the ledge around it, and that was something I did no matter where I stayed or whether I was on an assignment or not. For three years I had been on the Commie “B” list which meant a hit at any given opportunity, but being promoted to the “A” sheet, like they told me I was, meant an organized effort to nail me. Orders had been cut to kill this old soldier and by request from Rondine Vidor Churis had been given the job.

It was going to be nice to see him again. He had killed a friend of mine too.

There was a simple message waiting for me at the hotel and I had to laugh when I read it. I hadn’t told Charlie Corbinet where I had moved to but he found me easily enough one way or another. It was coded in the old
Tike R
form we hadn’t used since the war but couldn’t forget because it was used more to set up interoffice dates than for business purposes. Charlie wanted to see me at two o’clock in front of the library building and I had twenty minutes to make it in.

Instead of going upstairs I called Toomey, got him in his room and told him my report was in and for him to be available right after six that night. Newark had already alerted him through Martin Grady and he said he’d stand by.

There was a cab in the slot outside, so I grabbed it and told the driver to drift by the library, spotted Charlie getting there right on schedule, waved him over and had him hop in.

I said, “Hi, Colonel. What’s the good news?”

“You’ll find out. Let’s go to the British Embassy.”

I gave the driver the message and sat back. When anyone was within listening distance Charlie Corbinet wasn’t a talker. When we reached the embassy I paid off the driver and followed Charlie inside. He wasn’t new to the place at all. He got the VIP treatment immediately and we were ushered upstairs to a private office furnished in dark-brown leather and mahogany and before we could get seated three men came in carrying briefcases and folders under their arms, shook hands quickly and were introduced to me.

One needed no introduction. He was Vincent Harley Case whom I had met with Rondine the first day I saw her again.

He said through a Glasgow accent, “Ah, Tiger Mann. Yes, we’ve already met through a mutual friend.”

Charlie gave me a sideways look that could mean almost anything.

“Though I hardly expected to see you again under these—ah —circumstances.”

“It’s a small world.”

“Not any longer, it seems. Please, sit down.”

The chairs were pulled up around a low table, the folders laid out and it was the Colonel’s time for explanation. Evidently they bad expected him to come alone and weren’t prepared for me.

Charlie said, “In view of the facts you’re going to have to leave some things to my judgment, gentlemen. Without going into extreme details I can only tell you that Mr. Mann is an associate of mine, has served under my command and is, at present, engaged in activities that make his presence vital. Security on him is clear. I will vouch for him completely. Has anyone any objections?”

For just a moment there was an exchange of looks, a silent acknowledgment to accept Corbinet’s opinion and Vincent Case nodded. “There is no reason not to go along with you, sir. After all, you are in an official capacity and our governments must work together. We can use all the help we can get.”

Charlie glanced my way and I followed his lead, letting him do the talking. It was for my benefit that he reviewed the details, knowing I would put the pieces together in a hurry. I had to do more than that. I had to figure out just how deep he was with I.A.T.S. and what power he held. Damn, the agencies were smarter than I thought, getting him back in the ranks again. I wondered if he was over the big guy who stayed so close to Watford.

“As you know, yesterday we submitted certain prepared papers to the British regarding our joint efforts in the
Climax Project.
They contained false information deliberately planted to see if it was picked up.” He paused and searched the faces of the others. “An hour ago our sources inside the Russian Embassy got word out that they had received news of our supposed intent and had called an emergency meeting of their delegates to counteract the proposal that was to be delivered today when the General Assembly convened.

“Since we did not follow it up with the true facts it was decided that the true proposal be discussed and agreed upon in secret, all members present not being allowed to confer with anyone until the time of the session this afternoon.” Corbinet looked at his watch. “You gentlemen will be at that meeting in exactly forty-five minutes at an assigned place you will be given before I leave.

“This new proposal is not a vital one at this stage. It is what will be coming up within the week that will be of major importance. What we must do is find the source of this security leak and block it. We can’t always be making last-minute decisions ... we need time for discussion and communication, so this arrangement is in the way of a trial balloon. Is that understood?”

Again, there were acknowledging nods. Then the tall, thin one called Beaver said, “And Mr. Mann’s part ... ?” He let it hang there.

“Have you something to say, Tiger?”

“No offense intended,” I said, “but I’d like you to run a security check on all your clerical help.”

“Mr. Mann ...” Case started.

I held up my hand. “Our people will do the same. I know they’ve been cleared once, but go through it again. There might have been new developments.”

“Am I to understand that you have someone in mind?”

“You might try Edith Caine.”

His frown deepened into a scowl and his eyes bit into mine. “I happen to know the family well.”

“How well do you know Edith?”

“Quite well, sir.”

“For how long?”

He drew himself up and there was an edge to his voice. “Ever since she was a child.”

I knew I had him then. I said, “You recommended her for government service, didn’t you?”

“Among others, yes. She came to see me, renew an old friendship and I was instrumental in bringing her here.”

“Uh-huh. How long had it been since you had seen her before.” He frowned again. “Well ... I don’t quite understand. ... ”

“How long, Mr. Case?”

He saw what I was getting at and his mouth tightened. “Not since she was eight or nine. Of course, her family had sent her to schools both in England and abroad. Since she was the youngest I rarely had occasion to do more than inquire about her ... but this is sheer foolishness!”

I stood up. “Is it?”

“Indeed it is. However, to satisfy you we will check her through again. I hope it will satisfy you.”

“It will,” I told him.

Charlie took over then. He gave them an address, told them not to write it down and repeated the time of the meeting. There was nothing more. On the way out I managed to get in step with Case and take some of the sting out of what he had to do by reminding him a double check could not hurt and only clear everyone not involved once and for all and helped the possibility of stemming the leak. He finally gave me a friendly grin and admitted I was right.

I said, “Where’s your sidekick today?”

“Sidekick?”

“Burton Selwick.”

“Oh.” He gave a sympathetic squint and said, “He had another attack last night. Took him to the hospital. Chap works too hard. He’s been warned and knows better, but it’s a demanding job.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Ulcers. He’s going under the knife shortly. Right now he’s at home, but if I know him he’ll be present today.”

“Tell him hello for me.”

“I’ll do that, Mr. Mann ... and good hunting. I do hope you are mistaken in your premise, but if you aren’t, well...”

“Sure,” I said.

We separated at the elevator and Charlie Corbinet and I rode it down to the first floor. After picking up the hats and raincoats we went out to the street and without hesitation, he started north at a fast walk. I let him alone for a full block, knowing what he was doing ... looking for a group to fall in behind so that when he spoke there would be no chance of being picked up by any mobile parabolic microphone that might be tracking us.

Three women and a kid were up ahead so we fell in behind him and I said, “Thanks for the party, Charlie, but that wasn’t the reason you wanted to see me. I’m short on time.”

He turned his head and made a wry face. “You’ve opened up a dangerous avenue of thought.”

“No kidding.”

“After you left the other day,” he said, “I made several calls to some old friends in British Intelligence. They aren’t working at it now, of course, but I finally found one who tracked down an assistant of Price Richards. Luckily, he was a man with a remarkable memory and was engaged in liaison work with the French
maquis.
He did remember Rondine Lund and was able to fill me in on some of the details.”

“A woman named Rondine Lund was shot,” I said.

His eyes twinkled. “You’re right there, boy. You still have your own ways, don’t you?” Without waiting for an answer he went on, “Well, a year after the war she was caught up when the net went out for Nazi war criminals. Once again, by posing as the mistress of the one she was with, she managed to slip away because they considered her of no importance. However, sometime later she was recognized from a photo by one of our staff but by that time, naturally, she had made a successful escape.

“Now as a spy, with the war over, she never would have mattered, but there was a time, if you remember, she was in the company of several high officials of the Nazi Party who were never rounded up. These persons had access to documents we wanted and there was a possibility she could give us a lead to them, so an attempt was made to pick up her trail.

“It wasn’t an easy job, several months were spent on it, she was identified and followed and the trail ended when she disappeared inside Soviet territory. A team of two was dispatched inside, one came back with the report that Rondine Lund was alive enough to kill his partner and there it ended because she had disappeared in the Soviet organization and there was no way of getting to her.

“By that time the documents we were after had been discovered by our men so there was no advantage in looking any further for Rondine. Naturally, there was no accusation of the murder of the agent because we couldn’t let it out he was inside the Soviet line. So Rondine was dismissed and forgotten. The report was among many destroyed when we were burning the outdated paperwork and so ended Rondine.”