Diedre was silent for a moment, thinking hard, and then she said, “What is the time frame, Tony? Take me through it slowly.”
“We arrived at the Gare du Nord railway station at six-thirty this morning. We took taxis to the Plaza Athénée Hotel. Alexander arranged for the rooms. And we all registered. We then went to our rooms. Obviously I had their travel documents, because I was going immediately to the British embassy. Which I did. I told the professor to make sure his family relaxed, rested, went to bed. They were exhausted, especially the children.”
“I understand. And when you returned to the hotel she had gone. What time was that, Tony?”
“About eleven-fifteen, eleven-thirty. I was in the lobby buying a newspaper when Alexander saw me. He’d been waiting for me to return. He told me what had happened. I was stunned. And so was he, a bit shaken, in fact.”
“I bet he was. Did he have any comments?”
“Not really. He just muttered that she was the oddest woman he’d ever met.”
“I see. Let’s move on for a moment. I assume you are booked on the boat train for tomorrow?” Diedre said.
“That’s right. I stayed with our plan. We must rest tonight in Paris. Depart for London tomorrow—” Tony stopped abruptly, then exclaimed, “What the hell should I do, Diedre? Do you have any ideas?”
“Yes, a few. First, the professor should report his wife missing to the French police, and then he should check the hospitals. Just in case she simply went out for a walk and had an accident of some sort—”
“I already told him to do all that. I discussed the situation with Dubé before I phoned you, and he thinks we should keep going, take the children to Greta in London tomorrow.”
“And you? What are your thoughts, Tony?”
“I agree. And I would go a step further. I believe the professor should also leave and come with us.”
“Good God, Tony, you want him to abandon his wife? Very cut-and-dried you are. But practical.”
“In my opinion, she’s abandoned him. She’s the one who’s gone floating off. He could be sitting here for weeks, waiting for her. Listen to me, Daffy Dilly, there’s something wrong with that marriage. They seem disconnected as a couple. They’re friendly; there’s no animosity, but somehow there’s nothing else there.”
Diedre said, “I think the marriage might be over. But why would she just walk off like that? It’s very puzzling.”
“We have to make a decision, boss. Right now!” he exclaimed, his exhaustion surfacing, making him impatient.
“We do, yes, Tony. You’d better give the professor his options. And, actually, I do agree with you, he ought to go to London with his children, not linger in Paris waiting for his missing wife to reappear. It’s Elise and Kurt who matter, and he should be with them at Greta’s house.”
“Thanks, Diedre, we’re on the same page. Talk to you later.”
“Please get some rest,” she said, but he had hung up.
* * *
After a few moments of thought, Diedre stood up, walked over to the window, and looked out, her mind racing. She had come up with a number of scenarios she could write about the strange disappearance of Frau Steinbrenner. However, none of them seemed quite right. But the woman was a problem, there was no doubt in her mind about that.
Turning on her heel, Diedre smoothed her hands over her skirt, straightened the neckline of her white silk blouse, put on her burgundy jacket which matched the skirt, and went out into the corridor.
A split second later she knocked on the door of William Lawson’s office, and walked straight in.
He looked up and a wide smile spread across his face. “You read my mind. I was just about to come and see you.”
“Here I am,” she murmured, and sat down in the chair facing his desk.
“You’ve brought me bad news,” he said, leaning over his desk, focusing his attention on her.
“How do you know that?”
“Dismay is written all over your face,” he replied.
“You read me too well. I’d better get my act together. Find an obtuse expression and wear it.”
A faint smile appeared in his eyes, then slid away. “Give it to me,” he said.
Diedre did not respond. She simply sat staring at him thinking how tired he looked, worn out. And she couldn’t help wondering why it was that single men didn’t look after themselves. They don’t know how, she decided. Because they’ve been used to their mothers coddling them. They all need a wife. Tony does, and certainly Will does—
“Something’s gone wrong with the Berlin exit,” William announced, cutting into her thoughts. “And shall we speculate? It’s Mrs. Steinbrenner, I’ll bet my last tanner on that.”
Despite the seriousness of the moment, a smile flashed across Diedre’s face, and she even laughed. “You’re good, Will. We can all learn from you. And we’ve a lot to learn.”
“I’m just good at reading expressions. So come on, let’s have it. You’ve heard from Tony.”
“I just hung up with him. Here’s the thing, Will.” She began to speak in a slow and precise manner, and recounted her phone call with Tony Jenkins, not missing out one detail, or nuance on Tony’s part.
When she had finished Will was silent for a few seconds. “So you’ve told Tony to bring Elise and Kurt to Greta, and you’ve agreed that the professor should accompany them. Correct?”
“Yes, I did.”
“To stay permanently?” His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Of course. The children need him to be there with them.”
“So he shouldn’t go back to Paris to look for his wife?” Will leaned back in his chair, still regarding her intently.
“No. That would be crazy. She’s gone. There’s no real way to find her, Will. Personally, I don’t believe he can afford to live at the Plaza Athénée Hotel in the hopes she’ll come back there looking for him. It’s very expensive.”
“I know it is.” He fell silent for a moment or two, and then said in a low voice, “I don’t suppose the professor has much of an alternative. Anyway, under the present circumstances, I think it’s for the best.” After a moment’s pause, he asked, “Are you going to tell Greta Chalmers they are on their way?”
“No, I’m not,” she responded instantly. “And I’m not going to tell Cecily, either. I can’t guarantee anything, not until the professor and the children have their feet on English soil. That’s when Greta will know. And only then.”
William frowned when he said, “You’re being extremely cautious. You don’t think something else can go wrong, do you?”
“I don’t know. It might.”
His frown lingered. He studied her for a long moment, then finally asked, “Do you have any thoughts about this strange disappearance, any theories? What do you make of it?”
“Something’s rotten in the state of Denmark,” she announced.
“And the rotten apple is Mrs. Steinbrenner. Is that what you think, Diedre?”
“I do. My brother-in-law Hugo Stanton lived in New York for many years and picked up a number of expressions. If I told Hugo this tale, he would immediately say, There’s something not quite kosher about this. Believe me, he would.”
“Not kosher, eh? That’s some statement. What brings you to that conclusion?”
“Mrs. Steinbrenner’s behavior. She gets cold feet in Berlin, doesn’t want to leave, is afraid they’d be caught and killed. Tony and Alexander Dubé manage to calm her down, and almost, but not quite, forcibly get her onto the train to Paris. The moment she is left alone in Paris she flees. Where to?”
Diedre gave William Lawson a long, penetrating stare. “Or perhaps we should say: to whom?”
Comprehension flooded William’s dark eyes, and he exclaimed, “You think there’s another man in her life?”
Diedre shrugged. “Another man, a beloved relative, a child? Another woman? I don’t know. I can hardly hazard a guess. But it’s the only thing I can come up with, because certainly this b
ehavior speaks of genuine emotion running very high. Just think about it … a Jewess wanting to remain in Nazi Germany, a woman who can’t speak French or English leaves her hotel in Paris, leaving behind her beloved husband and children. Except that perhaps none of them are beloved. And she just vanishes in the blink of an eye. Motivation is paramount.”
William was silent, studying her intently, thinking how brilliant she was in so many different ways. But he needed to prod her a bit more, and said, “I must agree with you. However, there is one flaw in the theory of her running off to another person, shall we say? And it’s this. How did she make the arrangements with the other person? What time did she have or opportunity to work out plans?”
Diedre nodded swiftly, and said, “I agree with you. There are indeed many flaws to my theory. But you’d be surprised how crafty and clever some women can be, especially when love is at the core of the matter.”
Thirty-six
Her name was Laure de Bourgeval. William Lawson had given her the code name of Étoile, because as he said in his note to Diedre, she was a star. Born of a French father and an English mother, she was fluent in both languages, and could pass as English or French. She had been educated at the Sorbonne. Laure had been sent to see Will by a contact of his in Paris, who highly recommended her. She was twenty-seven and very athletic.
Diedre studied the rest of the note Will had written to her, and then opened the file on the second operative. Alain Gilliot, twenty-seven, had been born in Provence, and was also of English-French parentage. He, too, had been educated at the Sorbonne in Paris, and was, like Laure, quick, smart, and athletic.
Diedre knew this was important, since both of them might have to be parachuted into France, and certainly they would be very active physically.
They were going to come in to meet with her next week, and at the same time they would become acquainted with each other. They were not working as a team, but both Will and Diedre believed they must know each other. They would be secret agents working in the same country, and might have need of each other in an emergency. Her job would be to see them through their training, at a special center recently opened just outside London.
The ringing phone interrupted her concentration, and when she heard Tony’s voice she knew at once they had a problem.
“Something’s gone wrong again,” she asserted, settled back in the chair, expecting the worst.
“Not exactly,” Tony answered. “The professor doesn’t want to leave just yet. He says his wife has only been missing since this morning, and he thinks we should stay on in Paris for a couple of days.”
“Well, we can’t exactly put a gun to his head,” Diedre responded. “And perhaps you should stay on. Obviously, she’s not returned or been found in a hospital, has she?”
“That’s right. But I do have a bit more insight on the situation, Diedre. I spoke to Elise, who’s a lovely young woman and extremely grown-up for seventeen. She confided in me. Apparently Heddy Steinbrenner is a depressed person, and has often disappeared for a night. Even two. Then she’s just come back with very little explanation about where she’d been. And resumes her life with them.”
“With no explanation?”
“Not really. Elise said her mother might say she’s stayed with a friend, or at a hotel, because she just needed to be alone. Rightly or wrongly, they’ve all accepted this over the years apparently.”
“But you indicated that the professor had been as baffled as you and Alexander Dubé.”
“That’s the way it seemed. I did question Elise about that, and she said her father never seemed to worry about the disappearing acts. Anyway, the point is she believes her mother will show up.”
“I’ll go with the girl’s opinion, Tony. She has no reason to invent this story. Or lie. So stay on. I think that’s the best course.”
“I’ll change the tickets for the boat train. Shall I book us for Friday or Saturday?”
“I’m afraid I have to throw the ball back to you, Tony. I have to admit I find this situation puzzling, even somewhat weird to say the least. But let’s give the professor the time he needs.”
“I knew you’d say that, and it is for the best.”
“Keep in touch, Tony.”
“I will. See you soon, Daffy Dilly.”
“I’m counting on it, Toby Jung.”
* * *
Diedre went back to the file on Alain Gilliot, reading the rest of the information about him, which was impressive. She noted that Will had given him the code name Émeraude, because his hobby was painting landscapes full of emerald-green trees which were uniquely beautiful.
But sudden thoughts of Heddy Steinbrenner began to intrude, and she closed the folder, and stared off into space, all manner of strange ideas running through her head. And eventually she came to some conclusions.
Picking up the telephone, she put through a call to Tony at the Plaza Athénée Hotel, and within a few minutes he was greeting her.
Having instantly noticed the worry in his voice, she said, “I’ve given the problem you’re coping with a lot of thought, and I want you to be prepared. I don’t believe the frau will return. I think she’s flown the coop.”
“Do you know something I don’t?” he exclaimed, wondering where her information had come from.
“Not actually, no. But I have come to realize a few things. Obviously, we’re seeing a pattern here, because of the information Elise gave you. According to her, the frau has always returned after a day and night away. I am certain that there is another person in her life and that she’s now with that person. Be it a man or a woman.”
“How can you be sure, Diedre?”
“Well, I’m not absolutely positive, but from what I know about her, she’s a troubled woman, and has the need to escape her family. However, I think there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye. Whatever that is, she won’t go to London. She needs to stay in Paris. You’ll see, she won’t show up for tea tomorrow as you think.”
“I hope to God she will. So shall Alexander Dubé and I stay with our plan to take the boat train on Friday or Saturday?” Tony asked.
“You can’t leave tomorrow. Better stay on schedule, perhaps think about even going on Sunday.”
“Good idea. It gives me a bit of leeway,” Tony replied, his tension running high.
“I am now passing this problem over to you, Tony,” Diedre announced. “It’s your deal and I want you to handle everything. I need to move on. I have a ton of work piling up. So what do you say?”
“Of course I’ll handle it. Who’s going to let Greta Chalmers know they’re coming? With or without the frau?”
“Why don’t you have the professor phone Greta tomorrow when the frau is either back at the hotel, or not. That way Greta can meet you at the railway station in London, and take them to her house.” There was a moment’s pause, and Diedre let out a weary sigh. She said, “And hopefully you and Mr. Dubé will be free of them finally. All’s well that ends well, as Shakespeare so aptly put it.”
Tony fully understood why she had passed this over to him now; he would never let her down. “I hope you and I can have lunch next week, Diedre. And you do expect me to report for duty, don’t you?”
“I do, and Will has assigned you an office next to mine. Where will you stay?”
“At my mother’s flat in South Audley Street, for the moment. She’s mostly in Gloucestershire, as you well know, and I’ll soon find a place of my own. Will you be around this weekend?”
“No, I won’t, Tony. As a matter of fact, I’m leaving for Cavendon tomorrow. It’ll be my last weekend with Robin before he goes back to boarding school. But we can speak whenever you want. And please keep me posted on developments.”
“I will.”
* * *
The following morning at six o’clock London time, Diedre’s phone began to ring. Almost before she picked up the receiver she knew what the call was about and who was calling her.
“Good morning, Ton
y.”
“How did you know it was me, Diedre?”
“I just did … mental telepathy, something like that. I assume it’s not good news since you’re ringing me at such an early hour.”
“You were right. The frau didn’t get back to the hotel yesterday. Now the professor seems quite determined to leave. He’s worried about the safety of the children, wants them out of Europe. He’s truly longing to get them to Greta’s house in London.”
“So he doesn’t want to wait any longer for his wife?” Diedre asked, sitting up in bed.
“He says he can’t be sure when she will come back. And that she might not. Ever. He suddenly became quite open with me and Alexander Dubé. The marriage is one in name only, that was the way he politely put it. He seems certain she’s staying with someone in Paris. And as we know from Elise, Heddy has done these weird disappearing acts before. And the girl wouldn’t lie. Also, the professor says he can’t afford the expense of the hotel any longer. Certainly he can’t stay indefinitely hoping his wife will show up in the not too distant future.”
“I understand. But don’t you have her travel documents?”
“I do, and when I gave them to the professor he said he thought they should be held at the British embassy for her. He said he would write a note to her, put in some money, and he suggested that I add in the train ticket, which is valid for a while. Along with the passport and visa, of course.”
“I suggest he writes a letter to his wife, explaining where her passport is, and gives it to the hotel manager for when she returns. Her suitcase will also be held for her, I assume?”
“Yes. We’d thought of all those things.”
There was a silence, and then Tony said, “My God, how right you were! I honestly thought she would be going with us to London.”
“I’m sorry I was right, but there you are. What have the children said? How have they reacted?”
“Elise seems to have taken it in stride. Actually, so has Kurt. I think they depend entirely on Professor Steinbrenner, and I must say he is a warm and loving father, and concerned totally for their welfare. The two of them seem to think that Heddy will just show up in London one day.”