‘Is that why you decided to work for Admiral Canaris and the Abwehr? Because of what happened to your friend? Because you held the Nazis responsible for that?’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘But maybe not just Canaris, eh? Maybe because of that you went to work for the British. Maybe you’re a British spy. Maybe you’ve always been a British spy, General Henlein. You help to destabilize the Czech Sudetenland for Hitler while all the time you’re really working for the Tommies. Good cover, I’d have thought. I mean it doesn’t get better than that, does it? Frankly I can’t really say that I blame you. The way you were passed over first by Frank and then by Heydrich, you’ve every reason to feel aggrieved, haven’t you, sir? So, how about it? Are you spying for the Tommies?’
‘Please.’ Henlein looked desperately at me. ‘I really don’t know anything about this.’
‘Neither do I,’ I said.
‘I’m no more a spy than I am a murderer.’
‘Says you,’ said Kahlo.
‘That’s quite enough,’ I told Kahlo.
‘Suppose we let the Gestapo find out,’ persisted Kahlo. ‘Suppose we were to hand you over to Sergeant Soppa. You’ve heard of him, haven’t you, General? He’s the specialist they brought in to question the Three Kings. I haven’t seen him in action myself but apparently he uses this technique he calls the Bascule. They strap you onto a wooden board, just like the one they use on a guillotine—’
‘Thank you General Henlein, that will be all for now, sir.’
Kahlo was still speaking, only now I was talking over him. Not only that but I had Henlein by the arm and I was steering him out to the door of the Morning Room.
‘If there’s anything else you think we need to know then please don’t hesitate to contact me, sir. As for your friend at the Imperial, my advice would be to get her out of there. Find somewhere else for your trysts. An apartment, perhaps. But not a hotel, General. If I know about Betty, it won’t be long before someone else does, too.’
‘Yes, I understand. Thank you, Herr Commissar. Thank you very much indeed.’
Henlein glanced uncertainly at Kahlo and then he was gone.
I closed the door behind him and, for a moment or two, Kahlo and I faced each other in awkward silence.
‘What the hell was all that about?’
‘You heard.’
‘I guess I did at that.’
‘You had him on the ropes.’ Kahlo shrugged. ‘It seemed a pity not to take advantage of that, sir. I thought that there might never be a better opportunity to ask him some questions that needed asking.’
‘It’s those questions that I’m interested in, Kurt. You see, I thought I was supposed to kick the ball. Only it turns out that you’re allowed to pick it up and run with it. That makes me wonder what kind of game we’re playing here.’
Kahlo looked sheepish. ‘We’re on the same side, sir. That’s all that matters, isn’t it?’
‘Actually I wonder about that, too. This VXG. The Traitor X Group you mentioned. The one that Heydrich was setting up to find the high-level spy who’s been giving information to the Czechos. You wouldn’t be part of that group, would you, Kurt?’
‘Didn’t I say?’
‘You know you damn well didn’t.’
‘I should have thought it was obvious after what I told you over lunch about the VXG. About how Captain Kuttner came down to Kripo HQ to brief us about it. How would I have known about those OTA radio intercepts if I wasn’t part of the group? That stuff is highly sensitive. By rights I shouldn’t have told you about that at all.’
‘So what else haven’t you told me?’
‘Frankly, I thought that enjoying General Heydrich’s confidence as you do, you knew about traitor X yourself. That you knew that and that you knew—’
‘What?’
‘That everyone in this house is under suspicion.’
‘Of being traitor X?’
‘Yes sir. I assumed you would certainly know that much, at least.’
I shook my head. ‘Let me get this straight. Everyone in this house is suspected of being a spy for the Czechos.’
Kahlo nodded. ‘I don’t think you are. And I know I’m not. And I’m damned sure Heydrich isn’t. Or his three adjutants. Everyone else, well there’s a question mark against everyone else, yes.’ He shrugged. ‘I’m sorry, sir. I really thought you knew about all this.’
‘I didn’t.’
‘Well that’s hardly my fault is it? I just do what I’m fucking told. It’s up to Heydrich what he tells you, not me. I’m just a Criminal Assistant.’ He kissed his cigarette and continued: ‘Maybe it slipped his mind. Maybe he assumed that I would tell you. Which I have.’
‘When we were discussing a possible motive for someone murdering Captain Kuttner—’
‘No sir,’ he said firmly. ‘You never discussed that with me. You discussed that with General Henlein.’
‘Well, don’t you think you might have mentioned it before now? In passing? I mean, if someone suspects you of being a spy, then that would be a pretty powerful fucking motive for murder, don’t you think? Maybe Kuttner was onto someone in this house. Maybe that’s why he was killed. But why should I have to know about that? I’m just the investigating detective. Jesus, I feel like a parrot with a cloth over my cage.’
