The Honor of Spies

"I accept your gracious offer," Nervo said. "Alejandro, have Pedro bring the car here in the morning. Wait . . ." He turned to Cletus. "I'd like Subinspector General Nolasco to see Casa Montagna for himself. Would there be room for him on your airplane?"

Clete nodded. "Plenty of room. You want to send somebody else?"

"Tell Nolasco to pick two other people, who will stay there for a few days, a week. Don't tell them where they are going. Got that?"

"Si, mi general," Martin said sarcastically.

"Good man," Nervo said.

[FOUR]

Calle Martin 404

Carrasco, Uruguay

1615 2 October 1943

Sturmbannfuhrer Werner von Tresmarck--a somewhat portly man in his forties who wore a full, neatly manicured mustache, a la Adolf Hitler--rang the doorbell of his home a second time.

It was literally a door bell, a five-inch brass bell hanging on a chain from the roof of the house. A woven leather cord was attached to the clapper.

When there was again no answer, he turned to the person standing with him, a tall, trim, olive-skinned man in his thirties.

"Dare I hope not only that my beloved wife is still in Punta del Este, but that the maid has taken advantage of this and given herself the day off?"

"Your wife's car is not here," the man with him said.

"Cross your fingers," von Tresmarck said as he took the door key from his pocket.

He pushed the door open and called, "Maria?"

There was no answer.

Von Tresmarck waved the man with him into the house, then closed the door.

He held up his hand, fingers crossed, and then called, "Inge!"

When there was no answer, he called again.

And when there was still no answer, he called loudly, "Inge, you blond slut! Answer me!"

When there was again no answer, he turned to the man with him and kissed him on each cheek and then on the mouth.

"Now, let us have a drink," he said. "And then a bath."

"I'm up here, Werner," Inge von Tresmarck said.

He looked up and saw her standing in her bathrobe on the landing beside the stairwell.

"Scheisse!" von Tresmarck muttered.

"Wait for me in the sitting," Inge said.

"What?" von Tresmarck asked incredulously. He looked at the man with him.

"Your wife said to wait for us in the sitting," a male voice then said unpleasantly.

She's got a man up there? She's never done that before!

"It would seem your wife has a guest," the man said. He obviously found this amusing.

Von Tresmarck looked up at the second floor. There was a man--also wearing a bathrobe--standing beside his wife.

Is that my bathrobe?

He recognized the man, who was indeed wearing his bathrobe.

"Oh, my God!"

"And don't let your friend get away until I have a word with him," the man said.

"Wernie, who is that man?" the man asked.

Von Tresmarck grabbed the man's elbow and propelled him into the sitting room.

"What's going on here, Wernie?" the man quickly asked, his tone now one of concern.

"Just sit there and be quiet," von Tresmarck ordered. He went to the bookcase, removed four books, put his hand in the space where they had been, and rummaged around.

"What are you doing?" the man asked.

"For the love of God, be quiet!"

When his now frantic search in the space behind the books proved fruitless, von Tresmarck went to the desk and started pulling open drawers.

"Is this what you're looking for?" SS-Brigadefuhrer Manfred von Deitzberg asked.

Von Tresmarck looked up. Von Deitzberg was lowering himself onto a small couch. He held von Tresmarck's 9mm Luger P08 pistol in his left hand. Not threateningly; he wasn't holding it by the grip, ready to fire, but in his palm, as if it were a pocket watch or a handful of coins he wished to examine.

Von Tresmarck did not reply.

Von Deitzberg turned to the man who was now standing beside von Tresmarck, visibly uncomfortable with the introduction of the pistol.

"You must be Ramon," von Deitzberg said. "Did you two have a pleasant time in Paraguay, Ramon?"

"Who are you?" Ramon asked.

"You may call me senor," von Deitzberg said. "Both of you may call me senor. Answer my question, Ramon!"

"Tell him," von Tresmarck said softly.

"We had quite a nice time, thank you," Ramon said.

"Did Sturmbannfuhrer von Tresmarck tell you that he was under orders not to leave Uruguay--not even to go to Argentina, much less to Paraguay--without specific permission?"

Inge von Tresmarck came into the sitting room. It was evident to her husband that she was wearing nothing under her bathrobe. She walked to von Deitzberg and sat beside him on the couch.

She's obviously fucking von Deitzberg.

Well, why not? She was one of the whores in the Hotel Am Zoo and the Adlon. She'd fuck an elephant to save her skin!

"No, he didn't."

Von Tresmarck began: "Herr Brigadefuhrer, I went to Paraguay--"