Shadow of Doom (17 page)

Charles entered, missed a step, and looked round with almost fatuous surprise. He was led forward, looked dazed at first, was introduced, grabbed a whisky-and-soda, spluttered over it, and then said that he was jiggered. Bruton took him round again, and Charles seemed fascinated by the squat power of Zukkor.

Palfrey counted. Eleven were present; who would the twelfth prove to be?

Bruton, who missed nothing, hurried to the door and then stood aside. The Marquis of Brett walked, smiling, into the room.

 

 

They were sitting round the table, with only wines and salted nuts and fruit in front of them. The ash-trays were filled to over-flowing, the room was almost uncomfortably warm – so warm that only the whippet still had his coat buttoned, and General Pitard looked ready to take off his. They had been talking one against the other for nearly two hours, and Palfrey and Drusilla had listened most of the time, making little comment, understanding at last what had prompted this occasion. Zukkor had meant what he said, but there was something else. The dinner was over; it had been for the Palfreys and Stefan, but this conference was of a different kind. Laughter had faded, grimness replaced it.

Brett had started the ball rolling.

For a long time, he said, it had been known that vast Black Market operations were being organised and encouraged throughout Europe, supplies on an unprecedented scale were reaching the illegal markets. Not only were the towns and cities supplied by the produce from the surrounding countryside, but shiploads and parts of trainloads throughout Europe had gone to the Black Markets, and the problem had grown in extent because among all the authorities there were leakages and active sympathisers. English, American, and Russian renegades turned a blind eye to what was going on. The immensity of the problem had not at first been understood; only in recent weeks had it become clear that shiploads of goods from abroad were being loaded on to lorries and trains at the docks, and unloaded in secret places. False papers, false shipping bills, false transport authorisations, had been forged; it was on a scale so large that there were genuine fears that it could not be stopped for a long time, it was so difficult to distinguish genuine authority from false. What was worse, shortages in the legal markets were getting more marked and nearing danger-point.

There were large Black Market operations in Berlin and other German cities, Zukkor said, taking up the story, but nothing like so extensive as there were in the liberated countries, obviously because Allied control made operations difficult. But on the fringes of Germany it was nearly as bad as elsewhere, and it had became a matter for the Army of Occupation.

Pitard said that the American, William K. Bane, had been approached to finance some of the illegal shiploads; that had been the first indication of the real scale of the organisation. He had taken the story to the State Department. He had been approached first by a man called Lozana, then by Dias, and in consultation with the State Department he had agreed to show interest, so as to find the root of the trouble. With him had been the Englishman, Josh Anderson, but Anderson had at first been inclined to take his profit out of the trade. He had withdrawn only when he had discovered the full extent of it, and the evil it was causing, and he had then been smitten, said Pitard, with a mysterious illness. He was now lying in Rotterdam seriously ill. Bane was still working, as Palfrey knew, and had flown that day to Stockholm, whither Dias had gone.

Palfrey had asked, speaking for the first time: ‘Why send Dias out of the country? You had him so that he couldn't get away.'

Zukkor, Pitard and the whippet had all begun to answer at once, then given way to Brett. Palfrey might probably guess the reason. Dias was one of the organisers, but so far it had been impossible to be sure who worked with him. Some shipping companies were involved, English and American, South American and, probably, Dutch and French, certainly Spanish. The issue was a momentous one. If the affair were handled badly it might cause bad blood among the nations. The leaders of the nations understood that private individuals were responsible, but if it became public news, then the countries from which the chief operators came would become unpopular – Brett said that he put it mildly. Distrust and suspicion would be rife. It was hoped that the names of all the people involved would be forthcoming, and that steps could be taken to put a stop to their activities at one and the same time. It was useless to close up one leakage if there were a dozen others still open. If steps were taken too quickly, it would be disastrous, for publicity could not be avoided and the trade would still go on. It was all or nothing, said Brett, and the committee which had been set up at San Francisco to investigate the workings of the Black Market in Europe believed that there was a chance of indicting every individual concerned, and of bringing the infamous business to a complete stop.

That was the gist of it.

Much more would follow, Palfrey knew.

 

Only Brett remained, in the early hours of the morning, with the Palfreys, Stefan, Charles and Bruton. All of them were tired out, and Brett said that it would be folly to talk further that night. He had a room opposite the suite.

They went to bed without further ado, and Palfrey and Drusilla were so tired that they said very little. They slept deeply, refreshingly, until morning.

When they woke up rain was splashing against the windows, and Berlin was covered with a drab grey pall of low cloud which kept visibility down to a few hundred yards. That, said Palfrey, was no one's loss. They breakfasted on their own, and then met Brett and Stefan in the large room. Charles was still asleep, Bruton was up and had gone out. Bruton already knew much of what the Marquis could tell the others.

Palfrey said: ‘First and foremost, Marquis, why dampen my spirits on the telephone? You cast me lower than I've been for many a long day.'

‘I was afraid that I would,' said Brett, ‘but over the telephone it was difficult.'

‘We had a private line, surely,' objected Palfrey.

Brett said: ‘Sap, we can't be sure of
anyone.
There may be leakages in our Embassies, there may be leakages in London. By leakages I mean informers ready to sell to Dias and his men information about the steps which we are taking against them. When you telephoned, Bane had disclosed himself to Dias, so there was no danger in confirming what he was doing, but I had to make it
seem
clear that you were not to work in the same business. The radium hunt was a godsend.'

‘Hum, yes,' said Palfrey. ‘You knew plenty about this before we left London, didn't you?'

‘Of course,' said Brett, ‘and wanted you to work on it. But I knew you would, in fact, soon be doing so, for we knew that Dias was the man we were after in the first instance. By coming to you Dias proved that he thought your talk of radium was a blind, he was afraid that we had put you and the men of Z.5 after him. It was much better, at that stage, that he shouldn't know, and better that you should find out what you were after as you went along.'

‘Need you have kept it from us?' asked Drusilla.

Brett looked at her with a quizzical smile.

‘'Silla, my dear, you've been wonderfully good and you've never prevented Sap from starting off on these ventures, but you had persuaded him to settle down in London. If I had first approached you about Black Market you would probably have blamed me for unsettling Sap. I knew that he was unsettled, but was determined not to aggravate that. When van Doorn came the floodgates burst open. I had to decide whether, at that stage, it would serve any useful purpose if I told you more. I didn't think it would. There was no danger of your taking your work too lightly, and there was a chance of getting the opinion of men who had no prior knowledge and who would report on the situation as it really was. Isn't that reasonable?'

‘I suppose so,' said Drusilla.

‘Yet you had a warning,' said Brett, still smiling. ‘Approval from Moscow, Paris and Washington was one thing: letting de Morency, Erikson and Bruton, as well as Stefan, come with you was a different matter.'

‘And you disappeared, to avoid importunate questions,' said Palfrey with an air of reproof. ‘It's hard. We would have been much better armed had we known all about it.'

‘I don't agree with you,' said Brett. ‘You might have struck an entirely different line. As it was, the two lines converged, and directly you were in contact with Bane I knew that you would probably force him to explain what he's doing. Isn't that right?'

‘I suppose so,' said Palfrey, in his turn. ‘All forgiven. Except—' He toyed with his hair, and looked at the Marquis.

‘
Doesn't
Dias know anything about the radium?'

‘I shall be surprised if he doesn't,' said the Marquis. ‘I shall be equally surprised, if, before you've finished, you don't find that the Black Market problem and the missing radium problem are closely connected.'

‘Reasons, please,' said Palfrey.

‘Because Dias is undoubtedly interested in both,' said the Marquis. ‘You've proved that to your own satisfaction,haven't you?'

‘Unfortunately, no,' said Palfrey. ‘As I see it now, Dias might have been convinced that I was really after the Black Market, might consider the talk of radium a blind. But I suppose it doesn't greatly matter, we can do both jobs. If the worst comes to the worst, we'll finish one and then start the other. I take it,' he added, ‘that we are now formally and officially working on the Black Market operations?'

‘Yes,' said Brett. ‘With this strong caution: in Sweden, you must appear as private individuals. If you need help there you can get it from Neilsen, of 36 Bikka Street, Haga. There is another thing: Charles Lumsden appears to be behaving queerly. Watch him very closely, Sap. He
might
be deeper than you think.'

‘We know,' said Palfrey. At heart he was not satisfied, but he did not say so. He did ask: ‘Do you know who Gleber was—the Dutchman who pretended to be a German?'

‘A Dutch secret agent—a brave man but, I'm afraid, a bad agent,' said Brett. ‘Of course all countries are working on the problem. Sweden hasn't a Black Market of her own, but some supplies come from there. Zukkor is well known in Stockholm, and has been able to start some inquiries. If you do run into trouble there, and Neilsen can't help, try to get in touch with Zukkor.'

‘We will,' murmured Palfrey. ‘You didn't come here only to see us, did you?'

‘I had other work in Berlin,' said the Marquis, ‘and at the same time I have been able to get a full report on Black Market operations in Germany. As you were told last night, they are widespread, but not on anything like the scale of those in the other countries. Near the frontier, where goods can be slipped across at night, they present a bigger problem, but I think we can safely leave Germany to the Occupying Authorities—they're in no doubt as to the need for quick, decisive action.'

‘So far, so good,' said Palfrey, ‘but there's still something that hasn't seeped through to the grey matter.'

‘What?' asked Brett.

‘I don't quite know,' said Palfrey, and looked across at Stefan. ‘Haven't you the same feeling?'

‘I have been puzzled by one thing more than any other,' said Stefan, ‘and that is the Marquis's belief that the quest for radium and the other activities are connected. And I wonder,' he added, with a faint smile, ‘whether there could be any more direct evidence about that, Marquis?'

‘Such as?' asked Brett, who gave the impression that Stefan had scored a bull.

‘Who do you
think
first began this Black Market?' asked Stefan.

Drusilla said suddenly: ‘Of course!'

Palfrey looked at her invitingly, Stefan hugged his knees.

‘Of course what?' inquired the Marquis.

‘What first started it?' said Drusilla, with some excitement. ‘
Who
first started it? Sap, Dias was a friend of the Nazis, we've had every evidence of that.'

‘Well done, 'Silla,' murmured the Marquis.

Palfrey said blankly: ‘
Am
I really as dull-witted as that?'

‘If you have not seen what Drusilla means, then you are,' declared Stefan, ‘but I think you understand.' He looked now at the Marquis, on whom all eyes were turned; everyone was thinking of the same thing, and waiting on him to confirm it.

Stefan went on: ‘Is the Black Market Nazi-inspired? Like the theft of the radium? Is it part of their attempt to keep Europe troubled, to prevent the unity of nations, to ensure the failure of the United Nations, to set them quarrelling among themselves, starting among the smaller nations?'

Brett said: ‘I'm afraid it is.'

 

 

‘And there we have it,' said Palfrey, ‘or so they say.'

‘Aren't you convinced?' asked Drusilla.

‘I am not,' said Palfrey.

‘I think you're being awkward for the sake of it,' declared Bruton.

‘Sap is never awkward for the sake of it,' declared Stefan. ‘Can we help, Sap?'

‘I don't know,' said Palfrey. ‘There is something we haven't seen properly. I don't know what. We're looking in to a mist. It was not right and proper that we should be kept in the dark from the beginning. The Marquis put up a fair case, but no more. Each one of us could have been trusted with the facts, and relied on to make it look as if we were after radium. Charles, perhaps, was the one exception—sorry, Charles,' he added with an apologetic smile, ‘I mean from the official standpoint. You were an unknown quantity. But we could have kept it from you, the radium story would have been good enough cover.'

‘Anything would be good enough for me,' said Charles, without bitterness. ‘I'm odd man out, and don't I know it!'

‘I have a firm conviction that we shall be very glad of you before we're through with this,' said Palfrey, and looked at him steadily. ‘There's one particular thing you may be able to do, and which none of the rest of us could. We'll come to that later. The immediate and most important problem is:
why
were we kept in the dark? The Marquis can talk until he's blue in the face, but he won't convince me that it was necessary—on the grounds that he's given us so far, at all events.'

‘Will it help
to
worry about it?' asked Drusilla. ‘We know where we are now.'

‘That's the problem—do we?' asked Palfrey.

He was inclined to agree, however, that Drusilla was right – it was not a thing for them to worry about now. Yet it was on his mind all the time, nagging at him, refusing to leave him alone. It had started when Brett had gone, and they had seen him off at the Tempelhof Aerodrome, with a splendid company of the Allied Nations in the official send-off.

He had left the previous afternoon.

It was now early morning, and they were not yet
en route
for Stockholm. Word had come through from Erikson that Dias was not exactly welcome in Stockholm, and it seemed likely that he would soon leave there. The others did not want to make the journey for nothing. Erikson was expected on the telephone at any moment. Meanwhile they sat about the big front room, now back to its original state and being used properly, for Palfrey was lounging back in an easy chair, and Drusilla was lying on a couch.

Outside it was still raining, but the mists had cleared.

Stefan said: ‘Corny, I feel like walking. Who else is coming? Drusilla, leave your difficult husband and come with us.'

‘Who said I wanted to go out?' demanded Bruton.

‘I did,' said Stefan.

It was not Stefan's habit to break up the party without a good reason, and the reason was obvious to Palfrey and Drusilla, and became obvious to Bruton. Since Palfrey had spoken to Charles, Charles had been sitting in a brown study, obviously aching to be told what Palfrey thought he could do. Palfrey would have enlarged upon that then had he wanted the others to hear. As he did not, Stefan decided to give him an opportunity of being with Charles for half an hour.

‘Coming, Charles?' asked Drusilla.

‘Er—no, no, thanks,' said Charles, and showed almost indecent pleasure that they were going.

Palfrey sat back, pulling at his hair.

‘I say. Sap,' said Charles, when the others had gone, ‘were you pulling my leg, or is there something I can do?'

‘Yes,' said Palfrey. ‘Much. If you can stand up to it.'

‘I think I can,' said Charles.

‘So do I,' said Palfrey, ‘but it will be a big test. It concerns Muriel.'

‘Oh,' said Charles, and stiffened.

‘There isn't much doubt that Muriel thinks she convinced you of her innocence,' said Palfrey, ‘and equally there's little doubt that, by the enemy, you're looked on as the weak link in our chain. They will undoubtedly try to find out what we're doing. The most likely way is through you—
via
Muriel.'

‘Good lord!' said Charles.

‘I don't think that's so surprising,' said Palfrey. ‘They almost certainly know that we're in Berlin. It wouldn't surprise me if they know about the conferences. Brett made it clear that there are serious leakages of information in the most unexpected places. My own opinion is that Muriel is probably in Berlin.'

‘Would she be allowed to stay?'

‘In Rotterdam she was supposed to be an American,' said Palfrey. ‘And as faked passports and permit
visas
are being used fairly widely, I think she could justify her presence without much trouble. She's been working on Bane, but there isn't much chance that she had any success. I think she'll have another shot at you.'

‘And if she does, what then?' asked Charles.

‘You must have a story for her,' said Palfrey, ‘a convincing story, with just enough of the truth to make it really plausible. If we invent such a story, will you give it a trial?'

‘Like a shot,' said Charles.

‘Knowing that if you're caught out it will undoubtedly mean curtains,' said Palfrey.

‘Yes,' said Charles. ‘I want to work my passage.'

‘Good man!' said Palfrey, briskly. ‘When the others get back we'll go into a huddle about it. I wanted you to have the chance of refusing without an audience, but' – he laughed – ‘I didn't think there was much danger of a refusal.'

‘If I get the chance,' said Charles, soberly, ‘I'll see it through.'

‘Good!' said Palfrey. ‘And now I'm going out, I must see von Kriess.'

He went alone, but he was followed by two American security officers. In Berlin as well as in the other big cities there were still terrorists who tried to create confusion. Their numbers were small and their successes few, but Palfrey was glad that he had the two men behind him.

Von Kriess lived in the Lieberplatz, near a hospital which was one of the few places which had escaped the worst ravages of aeriel bombardment. Palfrey was deep in thought, and gave little attention to what was going on around him. He reached the house, which was one of a short terrace, and rang the bell. He had to wait for some time. He rang again, and an old man admitted him, a grumbling old man who asked his name as if he thought that callers should not be permitted, repeated it, and led the way, still muttering under his breath, to a waiting room. Herr von Kriess was engaged, he would probably not be able to see Herr Doktor Palfrey. Palfrey found it strange to be using his own name in Berlin, stranger to hear ‘Herr von Kriess' instead of ‘Herr Oberst,' as it would have been but a little while before.

He entered the waiting-room, and a woman sitting in one corner put down a magazine. It was Muriel.

 

She was wearing a Persian lamb coat with a small fez-shaped hat of the same fur, and she looked demure and delightful. Palfrey had little doubt that she wanted to create the impression that this was a chance meeting. He did not think it was. He felt sure that she had been in the house, that he had been seen approaching, and that she had taken up her position in order to create the greatest element of surprise.

She smiled up at him.

Palfrey said: ‘Hallo, Fräulein!'

She laughed. ‘You know better than that, Dr. Palfrey.'

‘I thought I was seeing visions,' said Palfrey. ‘Miss Corliss, isn't it? A friend of my friend William K. Bane. Astonishingly small world, don't you think?' Gravely, he shook hands. ‘Is William K. with the doctor?'

‘I think he has left Berlin,' said Muriel.

‘Oh. The man does move so fast,'said Palfrey, aggrievedly, ‘one can never be sure whether he's here or there. Has he gone far?'

‘He didn't confide in me,' said Muriel.

‘Well, well!' said Palfrey. ‘Disappointing. I hoped you could tell me where to find him. I did hear that he was coming to see von Kriess, and I hope to get news from von Kriess. Do you think there is much hope?'

‘I really don't know,' said Muriel.

‘Pity,' said Palfrey, ‘but there it is, one can't expect too much.' He beamed. ‘How is His Excellency?'

‘Which one?' asked Muriel, and added: ‘I thought they had stopped using titles in Germany now.'

‘In Germany, yes,' said Palfrey. ‘I was thinking of Fernandez y Dias. Isn't he a friend of yours?'

‘I think you must be confusing me with someone else,' said Muriel. ‘Wasn't Dias the man who often saw William K. in Rotterdam?' Her lips curled. ‘That fat greasy South American.'

‘Yes,' said Palfrey. ‘Not a nice South American, either; I wouldn't get friendly with him, if I were you.'

‘I won't any more than I can help,' said Muriel. She stopped smiling, and her voice was low-pitched, almost appealing. ‘Dr. Palfrey, I came here hoping to meet you. You know how I once helped your friend Lumsden. I want to help again. If you will give me a chance, I think I can prove to you that—'

‘You're really on our side,' said Palfrey, sceptically.

‘Yes.'

‘Dear me!' said Palfrey. ‘We shall have to go into this. You helped Charles Lumsden into the river at Putney, you helped Bane into a queer spot with Dias, and—'

He broke off, and swung round towards the door, for from the passage there came a high-pitched cry of horror and alarm.

There followed running footsteps, a deeper voice, a woman's voice raised calling upon God. Palfrey reached the door and flung it open. The girl moved almost as quickly, and was behind him in the passage. A door further along was open and the old man was disappearing through it. The woman's cries were coming from there. Palfrey strode to the doorway, looked over the old man's head, and saw von Kriess lying across his desk, with a knife in his back. A little dumpy woman was standing by him, clutching at his hand and hugging it to her, calling his name aloud; but von Kriess did not move. The window wide open,and beyond it was a great expanse of rubble, where the murderer had doubtless made good his escape.

‘What's happened?' Muriel asked, in a hushed voice.

‘What I should have expected,' Palfrey said, savagely, and turned to face her, his eyes glittering. ‘If you've had a hand in this, my black angel, I'll never rest until you're hanged.'

She said: ‘You must be mad!'

‘Mad!' said Palfrey. He laughed bitterly, and turned away from her, looking at von Kriess, seeing that he was dead.

He did not interfere with Frau von Kriess, but spoke sharply to the old man, who was standing and staring with his mouth agape.

‘Telephone the civil police,' he said, ‘at once!'

The old man started, looked at him as if in defiance, then changed his mind and moved to the telephone, which was on the corner of the desk. He talked above the woman's low cries, which were getting quieter. She was no longer pressing the dead man's hand close to her bosom, but held it lightly, with a tenseness that suggested she did not want to let him go; she was afraid of losing touch with him.

Muriel went to her side.

Palfrey knew that the girl was clever, knew from Charles how well she could affect sympathy, and yet he was surprised at the gentle way she talked, and then led Frau von Kriess out of the room. She had a soothing effect even on Palfrey, who was bitterly angry with himself, for he thought that he could have prevented this thing from happening.

That was not quite true.

The Marquis knew that von Kriess was involved, so did the others. The man should have been watched.

Thinking like that was pointless.

Palfrey examined the wound. A single thrust to the heart, from behind, had killed von Kriess instantaneously; at least he had not suffered. He had not been dead long. Palfrey did not think it would be easy to find the murderer from clues left in that room. It was like the death of Laander, swift and sudden, a swoop out of the blue.

Palfrey went outside, called the American M.P.s and told them what had happened. One came into the house, the other went to report. Palfrey returned, looking from room to room for Muriel and Frau von Kriess. He found them on the first floor, in a bedroom, and there was a pleasant smell of eau-de-Cologne. Muriel was sitting by the side of the bed, Frau von Kriess was leaning back on the pillows, with her eyes closed. Muriel had flung a blanket over her, for the woman was shivering from the shock.

‘Do you know the house?' Palfrey asked.

‘No,' said Muriel.

‘Find the old man, please,' said Palfrey. ‘Get hot-water bottles and the usual things for shock. Hurry, please.'

He thought she would tell him to go himself, but she got up and went out. Palfrey took her place, lifted Frau von Kriess, pulled back all the blankets and sheet and put the woman right into bed, with all the bedclothes piled on top of her. She was shivering-uncontrollably, and her teeth were chattering. Palfrey did not speak as he stood there smoothing her forehead, his hand on her wrist. Muriel and the old man brought in more bedclothes and a stone hot-water bottle.

There were voices downstairs.

Palfrey went to the head of the stairs and called the remaining American, who came up promptly.

‘I want you to stay with Frau von Kriess,' said Palfrey. ‘She is not to be left with the girl in there, nor with the old man. I'll send word, and you'll have relief before long.'

‘That's okay,' said the security man, laconically.

‘Thanks,' said Palfrey.

He went downstairs, but no one seemed interested in him. German police were busy with photographs and finger-print powder, working quietly and efficiently; to give them their due, they were always efficient. So was Dias! Von Kriess had died at Dias's instigation; there was no reasonable doubt of that. Von Kriess, Laander, Garon, Midaut, de Morency – the tally was increasing. For the first time since the beginning of the affair Palfrey felt hopeless; he had set much store on von Kriess,
and
on his wife.