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Authors: Robert J. Mrazek
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rest at the top of the staircase, Inspector Drummond caught up with them. He moved fast for a drinker, thought Taggart, lighting another cigarette.
“What are you going to do now?” asked the old man.
“Did Colonel Gaines send you up here to ask me that?”
“No,” he said.
“We’re going to try to find that girl’s murderer,” said Taggart.
“I’ll try to help you in any way I can,” said Drummond, his knowing brown eyes apparently sincere. “Here is my card, with my work and home numbers.”
“Thanks,” said Taggart, taking the card and handing it to Liza. “We’ll be in touch.”
The strident sound of air-raid sirens began an ugly whine outside as they went through the front door.
“You had better find yourself a safe haven,” Drummond called after them.
CHAPTER 5
“H ow do you know she was murdered, Sam?” demanded General Manigault, removing a twelve-inch Romeo y Julieta Cuban cigar from his mouth.
“Fourteen years of looking at crime scenes,” said Taggart.
“I just got a call from some Limey colonel named Gaines who sounded like he had the King’s fork up his ass,” said Manigault. “He says the Dunbar girl took her own life.”
Taggart nodded and grinned. They were in the walnut-paneled anteroom of the large conference hall where General Eisenhower had just convened a meeting of the top British and American commanders of Overlord. Liza waited at the door about ten feet away, but she could hear every word.
“They don’t want the murderer to turn out to be someone with a silver key to the Royal Natatorium.”
“What’s that?”
“The royal swimming hole,” said Taggart.
Manigault shook his head and growled, “So you looked at the crime scene. That’s all you’re going on?”
“That’s all I went on when I got you off the murder charge five years ago.”
Manigault’s eyes found Liza’s for a moment before they returned to Sam.
“Get rid of her,” he whispered.
Taggart motioned to her to leave. Liza went out the door, closing it behind her.
“That was different,” said Manigault.
“How was it different?” asked Taggart.
“I was innocent,” said the general.
“As I recall, you were the only one who thought so,” said Taggart, “aside from me…. Look, General, this one would have been obvious if it was my first homicide case. I don’t care what the royal ass-kisser has to say about it. He would try to conceal the truth if Jack the Ripper was back in business and it involved the royal family.”
“All right,” said Manigault. “If Lieutenant Dunbar was in a position to compromise Overlord, we need to know it. Otherwise, I don’t care what she was doing or who she was sleeping with.”
“Or who murdered her?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“I’ll need to interview Admiral Jellico,” said Sam.
Manigault took another puff of his cigar and exhaled a cloud of bluish aromatic smoke.
“Listen to me, Sam,” he said. “There are eagles and sparrows in this war. The eagles soar, the sparrows fall. In other words, this requires delicacy.”
“You want me to be delicate? I’m as delicate as a fist,” said Sam.
“Jellico’s a goddamn Limey admiral,” Manigault growled again. “Just try to be discreet.”
“Has he been told yet?”
“They are trying to locate him now. To my knowledge, he hasn’t been informed.”
“You want my opinion, General?”
“Of course,” he said.
“It will be a miracle if the Nazis don’t find out about our Overlord plan. When it comes to spying, they may be dense, but they could still be handed the golden goose. There are Nazi sympathizers all over England, and half of them are in the so-called aristocracy. If General Eisenhower knew how many...”
“Cross yourself when you say that name.”
Taggart shook his head and said, “I don’t have to tell you that the Dunbar girl is only one of the many young women around here who are in a position to learn our most important secrets from across the
“What are you going to do now?” asked the old man.
“Did Colonel Gaines send you up here to ask me that?”
“No,” he said.
“We’re going to try to find that girl’s murderer,” said Taggart.
“I’ll try to help you in any way I can,” said Drummond, his knowing brown eyes apparently sincere. “Here is my card, with my work and home numbers.”
“Thanks,” said Taggart, taking the card and handing it to Liza. “We’ll be in touch.”
The strident sound of air-raid sirens began an ugly whine outside as they went through the front door.
“You had better find yourself a safe haven,” Drummond called after them.
CHAPTER 5
“H ow do you know she was murdered, Sam?” demanded General Manigault, removing a twelve-inch Romeo y Julieta Cuban cigar from his mouth.
“Fourteen years of looking at crime scenes,” said Taggart.
“I just got a call from some Limey colonel named Gaines who sounded like he had the King’s fork up his ass,” said Manigault. “He says the Dunbar girl took her own life.”
Taggart nodded and grinned. They were in the walnut-paneled anteroom of the large conference hall where General Eisenhower had just convened a meeting of the top British and American commanders of Overlord. Liza waited at the door about ten feet away, but she could hear every word.
“They don’t want the murderer to turn out to be someone with a silver key to the Royal Natatorium.”
“What’s that?”
“The royal swimming hole,” said Taggart.
Manigault shook his head and growled, “So you looked at the crime scene. That’s all you’re going on?”
“That’s all I went on when I got you off the murder charge five years ago.”
Manigault’s eyes found Liza’s for a moment before they returned to Sam.
“Get rid of her,” he whispered.
Taggart motioned to her to leave. Liza went out the door, closing it behind her.
“That was different,” said Manigault.
“How was it different?” asked Taggart.
“I was innocent,” said the general.
“As I recall, you were the only one who thought so,” said Taggart, “aside from me…. Look, General, this one would have been obvious if it was my first homicide case. I don’t care what the royal ass-kisser has to say about it. He would try to conceal the truth if Jack the Ripper was back in business and it involved the royal family.”
“All right,” said Manigault. “If Lieutenant Dunbar was in a position to compromise Overlord, we need to know it. Otherwise, I don’t care what she was doing or who she was sleeping with.”
“Or who murdered her?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“I’ll need to interview Admiral Jellico,” said Sam.
Manigault took another puff of his cigar and exhaled a cloud of bluish aromatic smoke.
“Listen to me, Sam,” he said. “There are eagles and sparrows in this war. The eagles soar, the sparrows fall. In other words, this requires delicacy.”
“You want me to be delicate? I’m as delicate as a fist,” said Sam.
“Jellico’s a goddamn Limey admiral,” Manigault growled again. “Just try to be discreet.”
“Has he been told yet?”
“They are trying to locate him now. To my knowledge, he hasn’t been informed.”
“You want my opinion, General?”
“Of course,” he said.
“It will be a miracle if the Nazis don’t find out about our Overlord plan. When it comes to spying, they may be dense, but they could still be handed the golden goose. There are Nazi sympathizers all over England, and half of them are in the so-called aristocracy. If General Eisenhower knew how many...”
“Cross yourself when you say that name.”
Taggart shook his head and said, “I don’t have to tell you that the Dunbar girl is only one of the many young women around here who are in a position to learn our most important secrets from across the
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