“What the hell is this?” Fulmar asked. “Who’s Freienstall? For that matter, who the hell is Willi von K’?” KTHAT has nothing to do with you,” Baker said.
“Bullshit,” Fulmar said. “Why do you need me to write it?”
“Let me put it this way,” Baker said coldly. “You don’t have the need to know, Eric.”
“Then write your own fucking postcard,” Fulmar said.
“Just do what I ask you, Eric,” Baker ordered. “This is important.” They locked eyes for a moment.
“I’d like to know what scurvy trick this is,” Fulmar said. “And on whom.” KAT the moment, that’s impossible,” Baker said.
“Shit!” Fulmar said, but he took up the fountain pen and copied the message onto the blank sheet of paper.
When he had finished, Baker picked it up, examined it, nodded, and said, “Fine. Now do it exactly the same way on the postcard.” As Fulmar complied, Baker took a Zippo lighter from his pocket and burned the first copy. When he had examined the final version and found it satisfactory, he burned the original message.
“Get up,” he ordered. After Fulmar complied, Baker sat down at the desk. He laid the cardboard sheets on the desk and then the postcard.
Then he wet his index finger with his tongue and ran it over’ Joachim Freienstall,” rendering the name illegible.
Fulmar’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t say anything.
Baker waited for the spit to dry, then very carefully wiped the postcard with his handleerchief, paying particular attention to the glossy side with the photograph of the Kurhotel. Next, holding it with his handleerchief, he extended the card to Fulmar, who made no move to take it.
“Now what?” Fulmar asked.
“Take the card and lay it on the cardboard,” Baker said.
“Will my index and thumb prints be enough?” Fulmar asked sarcastically.
“Or should I put the rest on it, too?”
“Pass it back and forth a couple of times between your hands,” Baker said.
Fulmar did as he was told. Baker then laid the second sheet of cardboard on top of the postcard, replaced the rubber bands, and put the whole thing back in his pocket.
“You understand, of course,” he said, ut hat you are to mention this to no one?”
“The thing about you, Baker,” Fulmar said, “is that you’re such a truly devious bastard that I really have no idea what you’re up to.”
“In our business, Eric,” Baker said, “there are those who would take that as a first-rate compliment.” He put out his hand.
“That’s it,” he said, “unless there’s something I could do for you in Washington?” Fulmar pointedly ignored the hand.
“Not a thing you could do for me,” Fulmar said. “You’ve already done enough fgr me. Or to me.”
“I’m really sorry you feel that way, Eric, ” Baker said.
“Yeah, I’m sure you are,” Fulmar said.
Baker shrugged and walked out of the room. Fulmar looked at the closed door for a full minute, his face lost in thought. And then a look of genuine concern crossed his face.
“Christ!” he said, and hurried out of the room.
He had remembered a Red Cross girl with absolutely marvelous eyes who had said she would meet him at quarter to six in the bar.
FOUR] The Wrdman Parle Hotel Wnhington, D. C December 1942 Major
“Doug” Douglass, Jr. , who was short for a pilot and looked even younger than his twenty-five years, wanted to say good-bye to his father before he took off for Europe. The easiest way to do that would have been simply to land his P-38 in Washington. But Peter Douglass, Sr. , was a captain in the United States Navy, and Doug Douglass did not want the “good-bye” to turn into a fatherly lecture on the hazards to an officer’s career of flouting regulations forbidding’ diversions en route to the aerial port of departure.” The other easy alternative, declaring engine trouble over Washington, was just too much of a convenient coincidence.
Between Alabama and North Carolina, howeveg Doug Douglass found his answer. He had a good executive officer who could lead the rest of the group to Westover. And he really didn’t think anyone would ask questions about carburetor trouble near Baltimore making a Kprecautionary” landing there necessary. So he used the in-flight communications system to relay a spurious message to his father, “Replacement package will arrive Baltimore 1330 hours.” He was confident his father would know what it meant.