Emerald (43 page)

“That’s great,” Peit broke in, “I think we can erase them from our list of problems. Josef, would you please get us something to eat and drink while we save the current world?

Levi asked, “What about the emerald? What is our responsibility concerning that gem? It seems to be the main source of the trouble we have been having, especially if Hans is doing all this killings, just to get his hands on it, I might add.

Would it be wise for you, Peit, since this is your town, to get in touch with Dr. Franz at Christies and talk to him about what we can do to help resolve the emerald situation?”

“I can certainly do that and see if he has any information about the final resting place for our emerald. How does that sound?”

T
hey drove through the outskirts of Augsburg and began looking for the signs to the AB autobahn, Karloff looked at the sky from the back seat of the Mercedes and remarked, “It looks like rain will be with us soon. Why don’t we stop and put the top up before we hit the autobahn. Find a place also where we can empty our bladders and this would be a good time to call Bruno, let him we’ll be there in about an hour, least according to this map.”

Werner pulled into a large truck stop, stopped beside gas pump, turned to the others and said, “My bladder’s fine, why don’t you two empty yours and call Bruno while I put the top up and fill her up.”

Coming out of the restroom, Adolph spotted a pay phone and asked Karloff if he had any marks. “All I have is paper money,” he remarked. Karloff handed him some coins and started looking at the magazines in the rack nearby as Adolph entered the phone booth.

After only a minute or so Adolph joined Karloff at the magazine rack and remarked, “That was odd.”

“What’s odd?”

“Someone named Kirk answered and immediately asked who I was.”

“That seemed so strange that I hung up. I called right back thinking I had dialed the wrong number and Bruno’s secretary, Lillianne answered and said Bruno was no longer Police Chief, could she help me. Again, I hung up. What do you suppose is going on?”

“I don’t know but we’d better talk with Adolph and decide what we do when we get to Munich.”

Climbing into the Mercedes, they mulled over different possible case scenarios as they drove on towards Munich, nervous to find out what was going on.

After checking into the small hotel that Bruno had arranged for them, they called the only other phone number they had been given for Munich and asked for Gottschlag.

“Who are you and why are you calling my husband?”

When Werner explained they were friends of her husband, from Argentina, there was a gasp at the other end of the phone.

“Then you don’t know? Chief Beinschmidt was arrested yesterday along with my husband and several others. I don’t understand why, something about corruption in his department, but that can’t be my husband. He called from jail after he was arrested and all he said was not to worry, it was all a big mistake, and he would be home soon.”

“Did he say anything else at all?”

“Oh yes, he did say that if anyone called asking for either the Chief or him and say anything about Argentina they were to get out of Munich as fast as they could and head for Geneva. I don’t know what that means, but that’s all I know. When you get to Geneva you are to call 41 22 715 1600 and ask for Klaus. Does that make any sense to you?

“Yes and no, but I hope it will when we get to Geneva. Thank you very much and when you see your husband tell him we called and are headed to Geneva. You’ve been very helpful, but please don’t tell any authorities about this conversation, especially where we are headed.”

Hanging up, Werner told the other two about the conversation.

“So what do we do now?” Adolph asked.

“We do just as she told us to do and get the hell out of Dodge.”

“You’ve been watching too many American cowboy movies, Werner, but whatever is going on here in Munich, I sure don’t want to be part of it. I think we’d better go down the back stairs and not even tell the desk we’re leaving. That may give a little bit of a head start, especially if the police are watching this hotel.

Gathering their brown robes and trying up not to trip as they dashed down the stairs, they pulled their hoods up to cover their faces as the three Franciscan monks hurried out the back entrance of the hotel. Walking sedately to the parking lot they put their suitcases into the trunk of the car, climbed in and drove onto the street.

“Drop your hoods, fools. We don’t know if Franciscan monks drive Mercedes in Germany or not. I certainly don’t want to get stopped by a, too curious, Catholic cop. I hope our Italian passports will fool anyone who stop us.”

“Yeh, as long as we don’t to have to say anything in Italian. Werner, get the map out and get us the hell out of this city and on the highway to Geneva. This trip is turning out to be a fiasco already.”

“Ok, we need to take this road down a few miles and get on highway A95 going south. Then after a few miles we take exit 39 onto A96 and that takes us all the way down to the German/Austrian border. How’s our gas?

“It’s fine and should hold us for a while, least until we get to Switzerland. I’d sure like to get out of these brown dresses, they make me feel creepy.”

“Me too, but they are our best disguise, especially if anyone taken in Munich has talked about the three of us arriving. Let’s get across the Swiss border and then we can change.”

“Where do we cross into Switzerland”?

“According to this map we have to get into Austria first, and it looks like in less then two hours. We cross into Austria near Oberhochsteg, but we’re only in Austria for a little while then we get into Switzerland near Hōchst. That’s the border I’m worried about, so I think we’d better not get out of these Catholic dresses till we’re a ways into Switzerland. Then we stay on route #1 all the way into Geneva.”

“Who do you suppose Klaus is?” Adolph asked.

As Servette walked down the hall in the Police Department, he heard his private office phone ringing and dashed in just in time to answer it.

“Inspector, I’m so glad you are there. I’m Jacob, one of Simon’s men in Munich. We’ve got trouble! The Stingers weren’t on any flights into Munich from Paris. The GSG 9 watched all the flights into Munich very carefully, and they weren’t on any of them. Did we get the date wrong?”

“No, I’m certain you had the right date because their reservations were confirmed by your Buenos Aires station and by Levi. I wonder if they missed their connection in Paris.”

“What if, for some reason, they decided to drive from Paris to Munich? They could have been spooked by the Police situation if they got a lead.”

“That would be a logical reason not to have been on that flight. Just to be on the safe side I’d better ask the GSG 9 to watch for them at the border crossings into Austria and Switzerland.

As Servette walked past the radio room he heard his name called followed by “Inspector, something just came in on the wire that you might be interested in.”

He walked into the radio room and one of the operators came forward and said, “Something about a Doctor in Munich committing suicide,” and handed him a sheet of paper. Without looking at it Servette asked, “What has this to do with us, James?”

“Read it, Inspector. It says that that Doctor was about to open a new medical clinic or something that would heal people using emeralds.” Laughing a little he continued, “Everyone around here has heard about your hunt for that big emerald.”

As Survette turned to walk out of the radio room he responded, “Thanks, James. That stone was just for my secretary.”

“Sure Inspector and elephants fly!”

Returning to his office Peit sat at his desk and read the communiqué.

Late yesterday afternoon police were summoned to the Munich University Hospital where a staff member, a Dr. Chan Yang had reportedly committed suicide. The hospital representative told this reporter that Dr. Yang was a distinguished staff member who for years had been doing important research on the healing properties of emeralds and other gemstones. It was rumored that Dr. Yang was planning a new facility, but no specific plans were known at this time. The hospital is very confused and in mourning. No other details are known at this time. The hospital will hold a public news conference tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.

“I wonder what caused Dr. Yang to do that,” Peit thought as he leaned back in his chair. He picked up the telephone, dialed, and said to the voice that answered, “Max, glad I caught you.

Did you see that small article this morning about the suicide of that Doctor at Munich University Hospital? Check into it, will you? Don’t think it’s of too much importance, but that name does ring a bell for some reason. Thanks, and it will be so good to see you Max - - - talk to you later.