Lehrter Station: A John Russell WWII Thriller by David Downing

Author:David Downing [Downing, David]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781616950750
Publisher: Random House Inc Clients
Published: 2012-05-08T04:00:00+00:00

That evening Russell told Esther what he’d learned from Kuzorra and Isendahl, that Miriam had given birth to a child in either 1940 or 1941, and that both had been alive in early 1942. Esther had listened with her usual composure, made sure that she had understood him correctly, and then sat in thoughtful silence, as if carefully weighing what it did and didn’t mean.

* * *

First thing on Monday morning, Russell arrived at the French administrative HQ on Müllerstrasse. Major Giraud proved willing to see him, but, as Jentzsch had feared, knew nothing of Kuzorra or the reasons for his arrest. Thinking he was being helpful, he took Russell upstairs and introduced him to Jacques Laval, the man who’d been so singularly obstructive on his last visit.

Russell refused to be daunted. He told the cold-eyed Frenchman that he’d been to see Uwe Kuzorra at the detention centre in Wittenau, and was pleased to note the momentary look of surprise in the other man’s eyes. ‘I’m writing a story about his arrest,’ he lied glibly, ‘and the treatment he’s receiving at French hands. As far as I can tell, no date has been set for a hearing or trial.’

‘That is quite usual,’ Laval replied. ‘We only have the people to conduct a few cases at a time. Even the Americans have this problem. Your friend will just have to wait his turn. Now …’

Russell noticed the slight sneer in Laval’s voice when he mentioned the Americans. ‘You arrested Kuzorra because the Americans told you to,’ he said coldly. ‘Are you holding onto him out of spite?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘Then why? Why hasn’t he been handed over to them?’

‘He will be.’

‘When they snap their fingers, perhaps.’

‘When they make an official request.’

Russell laughed. ‘Monsieur Laval, let me tell you what my story will be. That you are holding a wholly innocent man in custody, with no intention of ever giving him a fair hearing or trial. And that you’re not doing this in the interests of France, but because the Americans have ordered you to. Is that a fair summary of the situation?’

‘We don’t take orders from the Americans.’

‘Then give me the name of the American who wanted Kuzorra arrested, so I can ask him why the man’s been left to rot out at Camp Cyclop.’

Laval considered, but only for a second. He had, Russell guessed, no qualms about holding an innocent man for as long as expedience dictated, but a public reputation for sucking up to the Americans was not something he wanted to defend at Parisian dinner parties. ‘Colonel Sherman Crosby,’ he said, almost biting out the syllables.

‘Thank you,’ Russell said, and left it at that.

He made the long trip back to Dahlem—he was, he reckoned, covering more miles each day than he had with Patton—and asked for a brief meeting with Dallin. ‘I can give you five minutes,’ he was told on reaching the intelligence chief’s office.

‘I’ve found out who had the French arrest Kuzorra,’ Russell began.

‘Who’s Kuzorra?’

‘My detective friend. We agreed he’d be an asset to any Berlin network.

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