Murder's Art

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Murder's Art Page 9

by Christopher Nicole


  Tito stroked his chin. ‘Do you believe him?’

  ‘I have a gut feeling that he is telling the truth. On the other hand, the information could be a plant, just to let him have a look at our dispositions. That’s why I blindfolded him to bring him in.’

  ‘Very sensible.’ Tito grinned. ‘But even if he is a traitor, Tony, he can do us no harm. The Germans know we are here, and they must know that we are prepared to resist an attack. They must also have a fairly good idea of our numbers. Even were he not blindfolded, he has nothing of value to tell them. As for the information, we will act on it anyway. I suspect it is genuine. It is the reaction I expected after the killing of Frau Blintoft. Two divisions and a panzer brigade, with air cover. That could prove too difficult for us to handle.’

  ‘What about Mihailovic? Now that we have a British liaison officer …’

  ‘Yes,’ Tito said. ‘I would be interested to hear what you and Major Curtis have to say to each other.’

  Tony raised his eyebrows. ‘Problems?’

  ‘There could be. Major Curtis has arrived with certain preconceived ideas. I would say that they originated in London, but Mihailovic has added a few. Now, this information you have just obtained may alter the situation, but we cannot be sure of that.’

  ‘What do you intend to do?’

  ‘That will have to depend on Mihailovic. How much time do we have?’

  ‘I would say not more than a few days.’

  ‘Very good. Go and discover what Curtis has to say to you. Find out if Mihailovic will support us, and, indeed, if Curtis will recommend that he does so. Then report back to me, and we will form our plans.’

  ‘And the informant? Do you wish to see him yourself?’

  ‘Does he have anything more to say?’

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Then give him some money, and tell him to go back to Belgrade. Tell him we look forward to hearing from him again, as his daughter is in such a useful situation. But you had better again blindfold him until he is outside the town.’

  ‘And you say I am to tell Major Curtis?’

  ‘Oh, indeed.’ Another grin. ‘At times like this, we must all hang together – or we may hang separately.’

  Tony saluted; the rules were different in the Partisan army.

  He paid Malic a hundred dinars. ‘We are most grateful to you,’ he said.

  ‘I did not do this thing for money,’ Malic protested, but he took it anyway.

  ‘You said your daughter is a servant in the governor-general’s house?’

  ‘She is personal maid to the governor-general’s daughter.’

  ‘What is her name?’

  ‘Rosa.’

  ‘I meant the name of the governor-general’s daughter.’

  ‘That is Angela.’

  ‘Has your daughter told you how this Angela has taken her mother’s murder?’

  ‘She says she does not appear to grieve. But she spends a lot of time staring into space.’

  ‘That figures,’ Tony said. ‘I suspect she does grieve, but inside.’

  ‘I will come back when I have anything more to tell you.’

  ‘Don’t chance your arm,’ Tony advised. He summoned a sergeant and told him to escort the little man out of the town, and not to remove his blindfold until he was.

  ‘You are sorry for that girl,’ Sandrine remarked.

  ‘Yes, I am.’

  ‘Someone you have never seen.’

  ‘I am sorry for her because I regret what happened to her mother. Let’s have a go at Curtis.’

  They took the major to their apartment. ‘I must say,’ Curtis commented, ‘that you seem to have made yourselves very comfortable.’

  ‘One learns to do the best one can with what one has,’ Tony agreed, switching on the lights; it was now dark outside, but the town’s generating plant had been repaired. Sandrine drew the blackout curtains. ‘Drink? Local beer,’ Tony explained, opening the large, vacuum-sealed bottle and filling three glasses. ‘There isn’t anything else. Now, sir, sit down and tell me what you have for me.’

  ‘Well …’ Curtis looked at Sandrine, who had gone into the kitchenette, only a few feet away.

  ‘Anything you have to say to me can be said to Sandrine as well,’ Tony told him. ‘We are a team.’

  ‘So I have heard,’ Curtis commented disparagingly.

  ‘So?’

  ‘Well …’ Curtis drank some beer. ‘I was sent here to report on the general situation, and on yours in particular. I may say that, down to a short time ago, GHQ was very happy with the work you were doing here. I’m afraid I’m not so sure that they still are.’

  ‘What is the official reaction to Frau von Blintoft’s death?’

  ‘I’m afraid I don’t know. I was already here when the, ah, incident took place.’

  ‘But presumably you’re in touch?’

  ‘Sadly, at the moment I am not. My transmitter got damaged in the drop …’

  ‘And General Mihailovic is reluctant to let you use his.’

  ‘Well, he feels it may be monitored by the Jerries.’

  ‘He has been afraid of that since day one.’

  ‘Of course, you were with him at the beginning.’

  ‘Briefly.’

  ‘May I ask why you left him so abruptly?’

  ‘He wanted to shoot one of my companions.’

  ‘Was there a reason?’

  ‘She was a Croat.’

  ‘You’re not serious. She?’

  ‘She. And I am very serious. I don’t know how long you have spent in Mihailovic’s camp, but you must have noticed that his people are entirely composed of Serbs.’

  ‘Under his immediate command, yes. But he is in contact with other Yugoslav elements – apart from this one, of course. We were visited only last week by some people I understood to be Croats.’

  Tony frowned at him. ‘Did you meet their commander?’

  ‘Oh yes, a fellow named Pavelic. Quite a character. Out of the Wild West. All moustaches and two revolvers on his hips. He has something of a reputation, I believe.’

  ‘Ante Pavelic is a cold-blooded murderer,’ Tony said.

  Sandrine left the kitchen to join them. ‘And a rapist,’ she said. ‘He raped me.’

  Curtis gulped.

  ‘And he commands an outfit called the Ustase,’ Tony said. ‘They work for the Germans, killing Yugoslavs they don’t like.’

  ‘But he and Mihailovic seemed on the best of terms.’

  ‘Yes,’ Tony commented.

  Curtis looked from face to face, and finished his beer. Sandrine refilled his mug.

  The major regrouped. ‘I suppose you know that General Mihailovic has been made a member of the Yugoslav government-in-exile, and, as the man on the spot, has been placed in command of all the Yugoslav resistance forces.’

  ‘I would say that indicates that the government-in-exile is out of touch with the true situation here.’

  ‘Well, certainly that is one of the reasons I have been sent here,’ Curtis agreed. ‘To find out what is the real situation on the ground, and report on it. The fact is, as I said, that while GHQ is pleased with the way the resistance movement here is carrying the fight to the enemy, it is also disturbed at the reports we have been receiving of the splits that appear to be developing between the various guerilla groups. And I am bound to say that much of this has been confirmed by General Mihailovic himself.’

  ‘Well, that’s entirely natural. The general has lost control of events.’

  ‘Because sizeable groups like this one have hived off and refuse to obey his orders.’

  ‘Because there have been no orders, sir, except to sit tight and stop provoking the Germans. It may interest you to know that he did not authorise the seizure of Uzice, and in fact expressly forbade it.’

  ‘Well, he feels it will be impossible to hold when the Germans decide to retake it.’

  ‘I’m afraid the real reason is that he does not wish the Germans to b
e defeated until and unless he can guarantee a monarchical restoration and, in fact, a reversion to the status quo of 1939.’

  ‘Well, isn’t that what we are all seeking?’

  ‘I would have thought we should be seeking something better.’

  Curtis looked down his nose at him. ‘Are you a Communist, Captain? Or perhaps’ – he glanced at Sandrine, who had returned to the kitchen – ‘Mademoiselle Fouquet is.’

  ‘Neither Mademoiselle Fouquet nor I have any politics, Major, except that we are opposed to Fascism.’

  ‘But you are aware that this is a Communist group?’

  ‘No, sir, it is not. General Tito is a Communist, certainly. He does not deny it. Nor does he deny that he would rather have a Communist government in Yugoslavia after the war than a royalist one, as this has not proved very successful in the past. But his overriding concern is to win the war, and then start worrying about the peace. I believe I am correct in claiming that I am obeying Mr Churchill’s own behest when I say that I would rather fight with someone, anyone, against Nazi Germany than with someone who shows no desire to fight, and whose motives for not doing so are at best suspect, and at worst treasonable, if what you say about his entertaining Ante Pavelic is correct.’

  Another stare down the nose. ‘I think I should remind you, Captain Davis, that it is not for you to be lecturing me, but rather the other way around. When I am able to regain contact with GHQ I will be obliged to make a full report on the affair of Frau von Blintoft, following which I imagine that you will be recalled – I will certainly recommend it – when you may well be faced with a murder charge.’

  ‘I assume you will also report that I did not fire the fatal shot.’

  ‘Who did?’ Another glance at Sandrine.

  ‘One of my command. Against my orders not to shoot. In any event, that the bullet struck the lady was an accident.’

  ‘You expect me to believe that?’

  ‘Yes. Because I am an officer in the British army.’

  Curtis cleared his throat, embarrassed. ‘There will have to be supportive evidence.’

  ‘Mademoiselle Fouquet was there.’

  ‘Mademoiselle Fouquet. Ah. Yes.’ This time his glance was apprehensive. ‘But … well …’

  ‘I am Tony’s mistress,’ Sandrine said. ‘Does that mean I cannot tell the truth?’

  ‘It might be considered that the evidence would be prejudiced. What about the other members of your command? The man who fired the shot?’

  ‘He is, or was, in German custody. He may well be dead by now. The other man was probably killed during our escape; we have not seen him since.’

  ‘Hm. Not very helpful. Well, I will have to consider the matter, and see what can be done.’

  ‘Dinner is ready,’ Sandrine announced.

  ‘Excellent wine,’ Curtis remarked.

  ‘Like the beer, it too is locally brewed,’ Tony said.

  ‘Very locally,’ Sandrine added. ‘I think I would give half my life for a bottle of decent claret and a piece of decent cheese.’

  ‘I imagine you two must have had quite a few adventures during the past six months,’ Curtis suggested.

  ‘If you think it is an adventure to have to watch a hundred people, men, women and children, shot down in cold blood.’

  ‘That was done by Mihailovic’s friends the Ustase,’ Tony said. ‘Led by Pavelic.’

  ‘That was before he raped me,’ Sandrine said. ‘Actually, he buggered me. That is worse, you know.’ Curtis appeared to choke on his wine. ‘If I ever see him again,’ Sandrine went on, ‘I am going to shoot him in the balls.’

  Curtis blew his nose, and drank some more wine. ‘And she means it,’ Tony said.

  ‘Ah … well … yes.’ Desperately Curtis tried to regain control of the conversation. ‘What would really be helpful is if you were to bring about some kind of reconciliation between Mihailovic and Tito. Have them working together. If you could do that, well, all other matters could be forgotten.’ He looked at Tony almost appealingly.

  ‘I doubt that is really possible,’ Tony said. ‘The only way it could happen is if Mihailovic got off his ass and started to fight. He’ll never have a better opportunity than right now.’

  ‘Why right now?’

  ‘Because I have just received information that German reinforcements are being poured into Yugoslavia, with a view to an all-out assault designed to destroy the guerilla movement.’

  Curtis frowned. ‘Does General Tito know this?’

  ‘I have just told him.’

  ‘But … My God!’

  ‘Exactly. That they are doing this is precisely because of Tito’s successes against them.’

  ‘But … reinforcements? In what numbers?’

  ‘We have been told two divisions of infantry, a brigade of panzers, and aircraft support.’

  ‘Good God! They’ll wipe you out.’

  ‘Whether they do or not, we still consider that we have scored a triumph. Those troops have had to be withdrawn from the Russian front.’

  ‘Do you suppose that is the least relevant? What are we talking about? Sixty thousand men and a couple of dozen tanks? Our latest estimates are that there are three million German soldiers in Russia, and three thousand tanks. They are going to have Moscow by Christmas.’

  ‘That may be so, Major. But the fact is that if the Russians were to surround and capture – that is, remove from the battlefield – two divisions and a brigade of panzers, it would be trumpeted as a great victory. That is what our resistance here is achieving.’

  ‘And meanwhile you will be suffering incalculable casualties.’

  ‘You keep using the word “you”, Major, whereas I thought you wanted to use the word “we”.’

  ‘You wish General Mihailovic to come to your aid?’

  ‘I would have supposed it was his duty to do so, if the attack is directed at Uzice. Just as we would come to his aid were the attack to be made on him.’

  ‘Hm.’ Curtis finished his wine, and Sandrine topped him up. ‘He would have to be in overall command.’

  ‘I think we would need to have a meeting, as quickly as possible, to decide our strategy,’ Tony said.

  ‘Hm. Yes. I will see if I can arrange it. Will your man come?’

  ‘Certainly.’

  ‘Yes. Well …’ He wiped his mouth with his napkin. ‘That was a splendid meal, Mademoiselle Fouquet. Now I must be getting along. It’s been a long couple of days, trekking through these mountains.’

  ‘You’re not starting back tonight? You’re welcome to sleep here.’

  ‘That’s very kind of you. But I prefer to travel by night. It’s safer. And my guides know the mountains very well.’ He stood up, and put on his cap. ‘Until our next meeting.’

  Tony saw him to the door, then returned to help Sandrine with the washing-up. ‘I do not like that man,’ she said.

  ‘I would say the poor chap has been pitchforked into a situation, and a world, which is totally outside his experience. He obviously doesn’t trust us enough to spend the night here, in comparative comfort, as against bivouacking on an empty hillside in the rain.’

  She snorted. ‘And do you think he is really going to report you guilty of murder?’

  ‘I think he is going to do his duty as he sees it, when the time comes. We’ll just have to wait and see.’

  Moonlight flitted through the trees, casting long and sudden shadows which seemed to be accentuated by the night wind. Wassermann stamped his feet and slapped his gloved hands together. Not that he was cold. But meetings like this always made him nervous. However much he might be backed up. He looked over his shoulder, caught the reassuring glimpse of metal amidst the trees. But the fact was that, although anyone who tried to attack him would be instantly cut down, he would still receive the first shot.

  ‘They are here,’ Ulrich said.

  The man seems to have eyes like a cat, Wassermann thought. But now he could himself make out the shadowy figures emerging out
of the gloom.

  ‘Major!’

  ‘Heil Hitler!’

  ‘Heil,’ the Cetnik agreed.

  Wassermann peered at him. He was a young man, short and stocky. Like all the Cetniks, his hair was long and he had a straggly beard. He wore a somewhat drab and untidy khaki uniform, in strong contrast to the German’s immaculate black one. ‘Matovic! You have something for me?’

  ‘Your plans are known to the Partisans,’ Matovic said.

  ‘How?’

  Matovic shrugged. ‘One of your people must have talked too loudly.’

  ‘But not one of yours.’

  ‘Not one of mine,’ Matovic said, choosing his words carefully. ‘I am risking a great deal in coming here.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘We have received a British liaison officer. A Major Curtis.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘He came by parachute.’

  ‘From where?’

  ‘Alexandria.’

  ‘That is a long way. You knew he was coming?’

  ‘We were informed.’

  ‘But you did not inform us.’

  ‘I am sure you appreciate, Herr Major, that it is necessary that General Mihailovic maintains good relations with Britain, and, through them, with our government-in-exile in London, and remains utterly trusted by them.’

  ‘You are saying that the general did not authorise this meeting?’

  ‘He does not know of it.’

  ‘So why are you here? What would happen if he were to find out about it?’

  ‘I would probably be shot, sir. I am here in fulfilment of our bargain.’

  ‘That your parents would be safeguarded as long as you cooperate. I understand, Captain. What does this Englishman want?’

  ‘As I said, he has come to liaise between his government and General Mihailovic. But he also wishes to bring the Partisans and the Cetniks together.’

  ‘Will he succeed?’

  ‘I doubt that. Much will depend on what you mean to do.’

  ‘You have just said that our plans are known.’

  ‘Only that you are moving a large force of men and materiel into Yugoslavia. It is very necessary that I know how you intend to use this force.’

  ‘So that you can tell this British officer?’

  ‘Of course not. But it will be necessary to put General Mihailovic in the picture. If you intend to drive into the mountains, well, he will need time to make adequate dispositions.’

 

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