The Charlemagne Murders

by Douglass, Carl;

  “Yes, sir, Senior Superintendent.”

  The use of official titles made the agreement between gentlemen and friends formal.

  Eugène’s next call was to Axel Baird, the INTERPOL agent in charge in New York City.

  “Hello, Axel. This is Eugène. I hope I’m not calling at an inconvenient time.”

  It was six-thirty in the evening Paris time and midday—twelve-thirty p.m. in Manhattan. Superintendent Baird was having a Spartan business lunch with his agents in the office conference room. Baird did not believe in fancy lunch or dinner meetings.

  “Not at all, Eugène. We are just having our regular lunch meeting.”

  “That reminds me that I’m hungry; so, I’ll make this brief. I have learned of the murder of a rather well-known retired American general—Glen Gabler. I am sure you are fully aware of it, but I doubt that the Amis have asked for INTERPOL assistance yet.”

  “True. So, how does this become an INTERPOL problem?” Alex asked.

  “For most of the day today, I have been communicating with law enforcement officers in Moscow, Paris, Weisbaden, Córdoba; and I will call London as soon as we hang up. In brief, we have reason to suspect that the murder of Gen. Gabler may be linked to murders in all of those diverse cities. I will fill you in by telex; be warned, the transmission will be extensive. I would like you to get hold of the appropriate American police authorities to get them to cooperate with the investigation. We are willing to share everything we get and hope they will do the same.

  “I am–indeed–familiar with the killing, Eugène. It took place in Alaska. It won’t be difficult to make contact and to get cooperation with the Alaska State Troopers who are–no doubt–handling the investigation there. However, we will not be able to avoid the FBI; and who knows how they will react? They might want to take over the whole investigation. They will certainly want to make any arrests and to take full credit for any successes, you realize,” Alex said with a shrug of resignation.

  “And INTERPOL can take full credit for all failures, Est-ce pas à peu près correct [isn’t that about correct]?” Eugène asked with a small Gallic laugh.

  Axel’s French was very good, and he replied in kind, “Vous ne connaissez pas la moitié de celui-ci [you don’t know the half of it].”

  “Our INTERPOL agents should have a conference call in a couple of days. Expect to hear from me, from Giuliano Pasqualone, Alina Hertzog, Marianne de la Reynie, and Roger Lahillonne soon. In the meantime, please get the Amis on board as much as possible and hand-pick a special unit of geniuses and people as discreet as monks to handle your end of things. As you may well imagine, we are entering into tiger country when we get Washington, Moscow, and the ever touchy French, to try to cooperate.”

  “I wouldn’t trade you jobs for all the tea in China, Boss,” Axel said.

  The two men exchanged pleasantries about politics and family news then hung up to get on with the formidable tasks of the manhunt looming ahead.

  Axel put in a call to the Regional Major Crimes Unit [MCU], Alaska Bureau of Investigation Post, Juneau, Alaska, as his first official act in the international investigation and manhunt for the killers of General Glen Gabler. He had been on two fishing expeditions to the frigid US territory and had met the chief of the state troopers and also Major Darrin Higgins, head of the Alaska MCU, on one of those trips. He asked for Higgins.

  “Hello, Axel. Looking for another fishing trip?”

  “I’m afraid not, Darrin. I have an INTERPOL investigation that should include you.”

  “Uh-oh, that sounds bad.”

  “The American part is undoubtedly well in hand by you already, Darrin. We have an interest in the murder of Gen. Glen Gabler.”

  “We’re on it.”

  “Of course. May I ask if the FBI is also?”

  “Not yet, but they’ll be involved soon, I’m sure. The DOD is in it. I am partnered up with an Army CID detective by the name of Tucker Nicholsen. He’s the SAC of the 83rd MP Det CID at Fort Richardson.”

  “I’m glad not to have to deal with the FBI right off the bat, I’ll tell you that, Darrin. Let me tell you why we think INTERPOL should be involved.”

  He took a few minutes to tell the state trooper about the international implications of Gabler’s murder—as much as he had gleaned from Eugène Dentremont.

  “Sounds like a global conspiracy. That makes it a lot more interesting. I have no objections with cooperating with you, Axel. I can’t speak for the fibbies.”

  “I have to call them as soon as we get off the line. Senior Superintendent Eugène Dentremont from the General Secretariat in Lyon, France, is heading up our end of things. With your okay, I’ll have him telex the information to you and to SAC Tucker. Would you mind giving him a head’s up?”

  “I’ll be glad to. I think he’ll be happy to have the extra help. He’s a good guy to work with and a very smart cop. I’ll send you what we have found out so far.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I’ll go you one further, Axel. I’ll smooth the way to the FBI by getting together with a contact of mine in DC.”

  “I’ll take any help I can get.”

  Darrin contacted Tucker Nicholsen at the base and told him about the call he had just received from INTERPOL about the projected manhunt. Tucker agreed to contact the Army and the DOD. Darrin’s next call was largely a courtesy call, but hopefully one that would help prevent trouble with the ubersensitive FBI in the future.

  “Department of Justice, main switchboard, how may I direct your call?”

  “This is Major Darrin Higgins, chief officer of the major crimes unit, Alaska State Police in Juneau. Please connect me to Spencer Reynolds, assistant attorney general for the criminal division.”

  “Thank you, sir. I will connect you with the criminal division office.”

  The pause was brief.

  “Department of Justice, criminal division, office of the assistant attorney general.”

  “Thank you for taking my call. I have an international criminal issue which requires that I speak to the AAG himself.”

  “I’ll see if he is available, Major Higgins.”

  Less than thirty seconds later, AAG Reynolds answered. “What can I do for you, Major?” the authoritative bassoprofundo voice asked; and the stage was set for the start of the greatest manhunt in the world’s history.

  INTERPOL Office Party Recipes

  Cheese Fondue and Fonduebourguignonne—Serves 4

  Traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue

  Ingredients

  -2 French sticks, cut into cubes, 1 garlic clove, 0.3 l dry white wine, 3 tsp corn flour or cornstarch, 400 g Vacherin Fribourgeois, 400 g Gruyere cheese, dash of kirsch, pepper to taste.

  Preparation

  -Peel and crush the garlic, rub it round the caquelon [a special ceramic pot with a small burner underneath it to keep the fondue at constant temperature]. Dissolve the cornstarch in the kirsch. Pour the wine into the caquelon, add the grated cheese, and melt together carefully on a very low heat on the kitchen cooker, stirring continuously with a wooden spatula. Add the kirsch (cherry brandy) and the pepper.

  -Transfer to the serving stand, whose burner should be kept at a steady temperature.

  -To eat the fondue: you need special fondue equipment, consisting of a heavy pan (caquelon) and a special stand containing a burner with an adjustable flame. Spear the cubes of bread on forks (preferably specially designed long fondue forks), and dip them in the cheese, stirring all the time to prevent the mixture from sticking on the bottom of the pan. Be extra careful not to let your bread drop off your fork.

  Fonduebourguignonne

  Ingredients

  4 cps vegetable oil or mix of vegetable and olive oils, 8 oz beef tenderloin cut into small cubes or strips, 8 oz chicken breast, boneless and skinless, cut into small cubes or strips, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, ¾ cp ground pork, ½ tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp minced shallots, 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp mustard, 4 small red-skin
ned potatoes quartered and cooked until tender, ½ cp each of 3 sauces~Aioli, barbecue sauce, Bearnaise and/or horseradish cream)

  Preparation

  - Heat oil in a fondue pot or 2-quart saucepan at 375°F until very hot.

  -While oil is heating, cut beef and chicken, toss with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Combine pork with garlic, shallots, egg yolk and mustard, and form into tiny meat balls. Decoratively arrange meats, meatballs, and potatoes on a large platter, or on 4 individual plates. Arrange sauces in individual dipping bowls or plates.

  -Place fondue pot of oil in center of table over a small candle or sterno, and adjust flame so that it bubbles but does not sputter when meat is added. Spear meat, meatball, or potato on long metal or wooden forks or skewers, place in pot and cook 20–30 seconds until crispy. Remove meat from fork before eating; fork will be burning hot.

  Traditional Swiss Raclette—Serves 4

  Ingredients

  -8 small/medium potatoes, skin on, 1½ lb Raclette Cheese, Buendnerfleisch (cut in paper-thin slices),1 jar pickled gherkin cucumbers (cornichons), 1 jar pickled onions, freshly ground pepper, and paprika to taste

  Preparation

  -You must have a raclette grill or raclette melter.

  -Wash potatoes and boil in a pot filled with salted water~20 min. Test with a knife to see if the potatoes are done. Keep warm until ready to use in an insulated potato basket.

  -In the meantime remove the rind of the cheese and cut into 1/16 in. thick slices using an adjustable wire slicer.

  -Arrange gherkins, onions, and Buendnerfleisch on a platter and set aside until required.

  -Turn raclette on to begin to heat up (allow for at least 5 mins. before using).

  -To serve: For Raclette grills: Each guest takes a slice of cheese, places it in their pan, and slides it under the raclette grill to melt. It takes approximately 2 mins. to melt to a creamy consistency and 3 mins. for a crispier top. Remove the pan from under the grill once it’s reached its preferred consistency and hold the pan onto its side to scrape the cheese out, using your wooden spatula. Place a potato on your plate and cut it into a few pieces and eat it and the Buendnerfleisch with cheese. Gherkins and onions are added taste ticklers.

  -To serve: For Raclette melters: Each guest prepares potatoes and side dishes on their plates. When the cheese starts melting on the wheel, scrape the cheese onto the plate. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and paprika.

  Swiss Chocolate Roll Cake

  Ingredients

  3 eggs, ½ cup caster sugar, ¼ cup plain flour, 2 tbsps cocoa, 1 cp heavy cream, 1 tbsp icing sugar (plus extra to dust), ½ tsp vanilla essence

  Preparation

  -Preheat oven to moderately hot~395° F. Lightly grease a Swiss roll tin (12 x 10 in.) and line the base with baking paper, extending the edges over the two long sides.

  -Beat the eggs and ⅓ cp of the caster sugar with electric beaters until thick and creamy. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the combined sifted flour and cocoa. Spread the mixture into the tin and smooth the surface.

  -Bake for 10–12 mins, or until the cake is just set.

  -Meanwhile, place a clean tea towel on a work surface, cover with baking paper and sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar. When the cake is cooked, turn it out immediately onto the sugar. Roll the cake up from the short side to roll the paper inside the cake. Stand the rolled cake on a wire rack for 5 mins., then carefully unroll and allow the cake to cool to room temperature.

  -Beat the cream, icing sugar, and vanilla essence until stiff peaks form. Spread the cream over the cake, leaving a ½ in. border all the way around. Reroll the cake (without the paper). Place the cake seam-side down onto serving tray.

  -Refrigerate until serving—dust with extra icing sugar before serving. Cut into slices to serve. A little vanilla or dark chocolate ice cream wouldn’t be bad with this famous dish either.

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  United States Department of Justice, Office of the Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, August 30, 1962, 12:35 p.m.

  “We have a situation here in Alaska that has now become an international criminal issue,” Major Higgins said.

  He told AAG Reynolds about the call from INTERPOL.

  Reynolds told him, “The FBI director and I have had several conversations about the murder of Gen. Gabler. We have been getting regular updates through the DOD from the SAC of the MP Det CID at Fort Richardson, and have been debating whether or not to offer the services of the FBI.”

  “Technically, SAC Nicholsen is the lead investigator in Gabler’s murder, and I think he is doing an excellent job. He and I are more or less acting as partners and have done a fair amount of investigation on our own. The involvement of the Senior Detective Chief Superintendent of INTERPOL has altered the landscape, to say the least. As of this morning, Nicholsen and I have conceded the lead in the wider case to INTERPOL because we are convinced that they have the best and the most up-to-the-minute global information. Frankly, Mr. AAG, all of us are more than a bit leery about getting the FBI involved because of their history of riding roughshod over other law enforcement agencies, and this is a case that cries out for delicacy and sensitivity,” Higgins said.

  “Political correctness?”

  “You could phrase it that way; but to be accurate, it is more about getting the job done before anymore senior officers fall victim; and everyone involved in the investigations in four or five countries wants to avoid publicity or domination. If the FBI is to be involved, then they will have to curb their enthusiasm for making appearances in the news and from tromping on the toes of people who won’t put up with it.”

  Reynolds laughed. “I don’t have any quibble with your descriptions or with your concerns, Major Higgins. There are three things working in your favor here. First, we have a new director of the bureau; second, I am his boss; and third—and the trump card—I am in agreement with you about how this case should be handled.

  “What does your gut tell you about whether or not this is a huge conspiracy as opposed to a group of murders with some similarities but no genuine or provable connection, Major?”

  “It’s too soon to be sure of that, Sir;but the red flags are there: major WW2 players murdered by individuals or organizations with serious resources and manpower and similar modus operandi. I have been at the law enforcement business for my entire adult life, and have investigated murders for the majority of that time. My gut says this is bigger than just the killing—maybe assassination—of an important American general. If my gut is right, I don’t think we’ve heard the last of this.”

  “I’m inclined to agree with you, Major, much as it pains me to say so. If you won’t consider me to be presumptuous, maybe it would be best for me to get together with Director Gaines. I think it might smooth the way and protect the sensitivities of the French, the Argentines, the Germans, the British, and the Soviets, of all people.”

  “I would appreciate your help, and I think I can answer for my boss on this global investigation. I don’t know if you know Senior Superintendent Dentremont. He is a cop’s cop and a brilliant investigator and administrator. He never seeks personal publicity and would probably be all right with the FBI taking credit when all is said and done. Back to my gut: it tells me that any credit should be parcelled out to the cops in each of the involved countries. That would go a long ways toward present and future relations.”

  “I will bear that in the front of my mind throughout my discussions with Warren Gaines, who is not a bad sort, by the way. Let’s keep in touch.”

  “Yes, sir. Might I suggest that we use the INTERPOL main headquarters in Lyon as the central information center? That way, we are less likely to have personality and nationality clashes which would hinder the work.”

  “Major Higgins, you sound like a seasoned politician/law enforcement officer who is headed for bigger and better things,” AAG Reynolds said with a quiet low chuckl
e.

  “Perish forbid, sir. I am just a simple trooper turned large. Being head of the criminal division in Alaska is exactly where I want to be. I have no ambitions to turn up in Washington and being eaten alive.”

  Several communications and events occurred within the next few minutes. AAG Spencer Reynolds had a long talk with DFBI Warren Brent Gaines who reluctantly agreed to be involved with the INTERPOL investigation but only after a few unkind descriptors of “that Nazi sympathizing bunch of froggies” and a surly pouting vocalization made to his superior in the DOJ about not being the least bit happy about “playing second fiddle in any investigation.” And a muttered sotto voce that “we’ll see how that goes.”

  New York City INTERPOL Superintendent Axel Baird did–indeed–find the way smoothed to have useful conversation with the DFBI. Axel agreed to drive up to Washington, DC, that afternoon to set the manhunt in motion with the United States fully involved. Axel reported to his superior, Senior Chief Superintendent Dentremont, who received the news with pleasure but was inclined to keep his feelings about the US FBI close to his vest.

  Eugène arranged with his secretary to hold a conference call to France with himself, Marianne de la Reynie, and Pierre Papon on his staff, Superintendent Guy Mutz of the Paris INTERPOL office in the western suburb of St. Cloud in Paris, and Enquêteur [Detective Inspector] Grégoire Laurent De Vincent and his assistant, Gendarmerie Lieutenant Sylvain Piétri, Research Unit Officer in Paris.

  “Thank you for taking our call, Detective Inspector and Superintendent. Before we start, would it be all right if we used first names? The titles and last names are so cumbersome.”

  Everyone agreed.

  “My secretary informed you of the purpose of our call. In brief, we have reason to believe that the murder you are investigating—that of retired Général de division Étienne Malboeuf may be part of a much larger conspiracy and a series of murders of similarly prominent individuals. If we are correct, it seems self-evident that cooperation with each other would be mutually beneficial.”