Emerald (32 page)

Several days later, a short, heavy-set man came out of the house next to where Hans was staying and walked over to where Hans was washing his Mercedes.

“Beautiful car!”

“Thanks, yea, it’s my only love, I guess,” Hans said, still sponging the car.

“I’m your neighbor, Tom Metz. Are you a relative of Mr. Golch?”

“That’s right. I’m his cousin, Mike Kermitz from Berlin. He invited me to housesit for a few days while he went on a business trip to England. So how is this area? I’ve only been in Munich a few times, so tell me what I should do first to see the city like a tourist.”

I’ve got a city guidebook I can loan you. It’s a couple of years old now, but it should be enough to get you started. I’ll just get it, but, I promise not to pester you. I hate having neighbors pester me, especially with gossip, don’t you? I try to mind my own business. So, I’ll get the book for you and then see you around.”

When Tom returned with the book, Hans ended the exchange by saying, “Thanks, Tom, I’d better get the soap off my love before it causes spots, and thank again for the city guide book.

He had purposely put a hairy wart on his Adam’s apple, in addition to two others on his cheek and chin, as part of his new disguise as Mike Kermitz. Hans knew the neighbor would concentrate on the wart as it bounced up and down while he talked and swallowed, and forget most other details of his looks.

He had more free time than he was comfortable with. The organization had not contacted him for several weeks, but he still felt under their constraints. Miriam was no longer around, and he missed her. He didn’t know where she was, and that also bothered him. Rutger and Ingrid, his closest associates among the Nazis, were gone too. He now had to fill his free time with something to keep from thinking about the wait for the emerald auction - - - or about Miriam. He decided to start a “research project,” checking out the background of the police officers he could identify in Munich.

He became obsessed with the role of a “lurker,” watching in public places and listening to conversations. He could add to or subtract from his new Mike disguise easily with an array of prosthetic items. His Mike had graying blond hair, much like Bruno’s. He wore huge horn-rimmed glasses and crooked nosepiece with widely flared nostrils. Sometimes he wore a black watch cap that he pulled down over his thinning hair. However, he had to be careful, because his neighbor had seen him as Mike, washing his car. If Tom recognized him through all these disguises, he’d have to take care of him.

Hans had seen fake horn-rimmed big-nosed glasses in a costume shop, bought several pairs, and then molded various noses for each with putty he brought from Argentina.

He thought back to his boyhood in Argentina when he would spend hours in Gunther’s workshop, watching the man make various disguises for everyone in the compound. Gunther had developed a type of skin colored; stretchy putty with acrylic dust mixed into it that could take various shades of makeup. Moreover, the best thing about of “Gunther’s Putty” was that it was easily removed without leaving a trace. Other putty he tried seemed too porous to stand up to repeated uses and left traces when he pulled it off. Hans had also learned the trick of flexing the putty as he put it on to create wrinkles and sags as well. Yes, Gunther had been an artisan as well as a good friend in sharing his craft with those in the compound back home. He could also forge the best documents, almost undetectable, except by the most expert examiners. Gunther had showed him how to peel off names with clear acrylic liquid paper and replace them on any paper item, which allowed Hans to update his identification as needed. It was tedious work, but it kept his security intact and Hans had never been caught- - -at least not until he came face to face with the Chief of Police, that day at the station. He still didn’t know why was the police were looking for him? Nevertheless, why just release him? It did not make sense, and it bothered him greatly
.

Hans researched Bruno, first using the Ludwig Library computers in their main branch, but really wished he had one for himself. Computers were too large, however and Hans did not want to keep anything incriminating on one he possessed. Therefore, he spent a lot of time in the library using different disguises, including Monique, but for “her” he now wore jeans or loose-fitting slacks, not the dress he had used at the auction.

He discovered that the Bruno had been with the department since 1960, the year his father was killed, and had become Terrorist Chief ten years ago. Before 1960, he lived and worked in Denmark. There was little Hans found about the Chief during the WWII years, which somehow made Hans suspicious.

Hans called Rutger at the Klement Compound asking if they had any information about the Chief. Rutger said give him a day and he would see what he could find out. When he talked to Rutger again he told him that a Bruno Beinschmidt had served in a multinational SS division called
Wiking
under the command of a SS-Brigadifüher Felix Steiner and had the rank of Oberstleutnant. Toward the end of the war, Beinschmidt had become Steiner’s personal bodyguard. Rutger was sure that he had known Han’s father. They were the same age and high up in the same military branch. So that’s how the Chief knew, thought Hans.

Hans also asked Rutger about the two Germans who had replaced the Jews and was told they both were from the Klement Compound. Very interesting. So they had been at the compound after Hans had left to go into business in Buenos Aires. It meant Hans was safe from the Munich police. They would never hold him, even if they did pick him up again. He began watching all three of them. There was a lot of travel between Munich and Berlin by the new police officers and to Hans’ surprise, the chief traveled to Geneva occasionally. He wondered what for?

After getting David’s medical clearance, Levi allowed him to return to work full time at the computer lab under Malcolm’s supervision.

David was anxious to learn how Malcolm created those computer age-enhanced photos, but he soon realized he’d never be able to figure that out as well as Malcolm. Malcolm claimed the program was simple. David did not think so and he had a devil of a time with keyboard commands. At first, he was only able to make changes in shades of gray. Then he learned to add and take away lines in the picture itself. He spent hours tweaking pictures learning how to get the effect he was after. He was progressing, but still had a long way to go.

Now he saw why Miriam always got so engrossed with the computer. But why did he just think of her? He liked fiddling with the computer because it took his mind off her. Now he started wondering where she was now and what she was doing. He would never admit to anyone that he had cried over her and almost went crazy with grief. That was the reason it had taken him so long to heal. If she had not insisted they would have to leave the Mossad and get married…she had broken their agreement to love but stay single.

Interrupting his thoughts, Malcolm asked if David was having a problem. “No,” David answered, “Why?”

You were so deep in thought I figured you couldn’t decide what to do next, Malcolm answered. David mumbled an answer and returned to study the picture on his monitor. He had been experimenting with a generic photo of a man’s face. When he mastered that, he would try out his new knowledge on a picture of “The Dagger.” It was David’s ultimate goal to identify and find the Nazi bastard who’d shot him. Killing the man had become an obsession, and he felt justified in doing whatever it took. He also decided that he would go after him, whether or not he worked for Mossad.

David wanted to talk again with Chief Beinschmidt to find out what he knew about “The Dagger.” Levi, however, did not like that idea of speaking directly with Beinschmidt. He said he already had him under surveillance and he did not want him disturbed in any way. He was so adamant that David did not press it further.

Hans developed the habit of driving an irregular course - - - from the Chief’s house to Gottschlag’s then Neuschondorf’s. He learned their wives’ schedules, too. The three women met for lunch every Thursday at the plaza. The men never came to each other’s homes though, which seemed a little odd to Hans. He went back to the library to continue his research on the Nazi regime and the personnel in Hitler’s staff looking for something more he could discover. He read a write-up on Eichmann’s capture that mentioned his father, but he never discovered any solid connection between his father and the three men here in Munich.

The evidence they had accumulated against Bruno convinced Servette and Levi that he had no interest in capturing Hans. Nobody arrived in Nice from the Munich police and whenever Servette talked with the Chief, he stuck to general business in his conversations. Servette made a point not to initiate any conversation about Hans, just to see where Bruno would go, but he no longer mentioned Hans at all. It was time for some undercover work. He called Levi again.

“We should send someone to Munich to snoop around. Do you have anyone like David who knows Beinschmidt, Levi? How is he, by the way?”

“Chomping at the bit to get out. He’s well and mostly healed. The only thing about sending him to Munich now is he’d spend all his time tracking Hans. David is obsessed about Hans. I can’t say I blame him, though.”

“Let’s hold off then. I really do not have anyone here in Geneva that could interface with our Chief. No. wait! I could send Josef. He has a special way with things like this.”

“Yes, I know he is an exceptional man, but how does he communicate with you?”

“He communicates with Max in old fashioned Morse Code by using a little metal clicker close to a telephone hand set. They can talk that way just about as fast as you and I do on the phone.”

“That’s wonderful, Piet. If you could get on it as soon as possible, I would appreciate it.”

“No problem, Levi. I will send out the troops today. Josef can drive and get there before midnight. We should have something to report in a day or two.

“Great, I’ll wait for your next call, and thanks again Piet.”

It was six months later when, quite by accident, Hans saw David talking to the Chief outside the police station. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He figured David was dead or at the least incapacitated, but there he stood, big as life. The two shook hands and David walked to his car, and Bruno went back inside the building.