Hitler's Finger Page 13

  ‘What the hell is going on?’ she asked Sam.

  ‘Something weird. I’ve no idea. Don’t panic, I’m sure we’re on the right track now.’

  ‘We must go there straight away. I’ve a horrible feeling about this.’

  ‘Of course. We should leave tomorrow at dawn. I think you ought to tell your father that we’re going. Just in case.’

  ‘My father? Are you mad? He’ll be furious.’

  ‘Yes, I’m sure he will be, but not for long. We need to take someone trustworthy with us. Someone who can protect us should the worst happen.’

  ‘You mean Segundo?’

  ‘Yes, I do. If Alfredo and Saul are in trouble, we’ll need help to rescue them.’

  ‘Okay, I hate to admit it but you’re right. However, we’re going to stop at the chemist’s first.’

  ‘What for?’

  ‘We’re going to buy a pregnancy test.’

  ***

  Hernan Sanchez’ face lit up with pleasure when the two women arrived at his apartment. He had been in a quandary ever since he had read the report written by Ramon Vega. Whether he liked it or not, he was implicated in some of the shadier goings on of that era. He was ashamed that he had profited from the expulsion of the Jews from Calderon, having never imagined that similar policies would lead to the death camps in Germany and Poland. He had been young and influenced by the excitement of the fascist slogans and uniforms and talk of world domination. This fascination had disappeared when he learned about the final solution but not before he had earned some money building roads and houses for the new arrivals. Of course, Gloria did not know about any of this and he wanted it to stay that way. Ramon’s report would stay secret.

  Despite his misgivings on the subject he had decided not to warn Gloria off the search for Alfredo. He did not appreciate being told what to do and Holger Ponce had crossed a line with his rude intervention. But he had a condition.

  ‘Papi, how are you?’ said Gloria.

  ‘Mr. Sanchez, it’s so nice to see you again,’ said Sam

  ‘I’m well, thank you. What a pleasure to see you both. I was bored here by myself.’

  ‘Our visit is going to be vexing for you but I need your help, Papi.’

  ‘Does it by any chance have anything to do with that rogue, Alfredo Vargas?’ said Hernan, wrinkling his brow in a mock serious manner that even Sam found amusing.

  ‘How did you know?’

  ‘Honestly darling, you don’t imagine that you can keep secrets from me?’

  ‘I should have realised that it was unlikely. I’m so sorry that I’ve been lying to you about him. I did mean to tell you. It’s not easy to be apart from someone you love.’

  ‘I am not pleased, but I love you and I know how it is.’

  ‘Papi, Alfredo is missing. I’m so worried about him. He went to the mountains with an American journalist and they’ve not come back. They may be injured or stranded somewhere.’

  ‘And what’re they doing up there, may I ask?’

  ‘They were looking for a fugitive German officer from the second world war,’ said Sam. ‘It’s pretty likely to be a rumour, but there could be some truth to the matter, and we’re worried that they have got themselves in trouble.’

  ‘So, you two fine young women are going to rescue the men from peril? There’s something wrong with this story.’

  ‘That’s why we’re here. You don’t think we would try to do this without your help, do you?’

  ‘I can guess what help you want, or should I say whose? That’s my condition for allowing you to go on this mad adventure so we’re in agreement. I’ll ring Segundo tonight and have him meet you at your apartment tomorrow at dawn.’

  ‘Thank you, Mr. Sanchez. We’ll feel a lot safer if Segundo is with us. He’s quite a formidable person.’

  ‘Ha! That’s one way of putting it, Sam. Now what can I offer you to drink?’

  ***

  After the women had left, Hernan rang his enforcer, Segundo Duarte.

  ‘Good evening. Who is it?’

  ‘Segundo, good evening. How are you?’

  ‘Don Sanchez, what a pleasure. I’m well, thank you, sir. And you?’

  ‘Not bad, old friend. I have a job for you.’

  ‘Of course. What can I do for you?

  ‘I want you to babysit my daughter and her friend, Sam. They’re going to look for Alfredo, Gloria’s boyfriend, who is missing in the mountains. I believe you heard about Alfredo and Sam on your trip to Riccuarte. I want you to make sure that they get home safe.’

  ‘Okay, boss. I’ll do that. And don’t worry about a thing. I’ll guard your daughter with my life. When do you need me?’

  ‘Can you be here tomorrow morning?’

  ‘Tomorrow is impossible I’m afraid. I’ve got an appointment to renew my identity card. As you know, I can’t travel without it, or the police might pick me up.’

  ‘What about the day after?’

  ‘Yes, that will be fine. Where shall I meet them?’

  ‘Can you wait at the crossroads at San Francisco after lunch? That way you won’t have to come in to town and then go back out again.’

  ‘I’ll be there.’

  ‘Thank you. Your loyal service will be well rewarded.’

  ‘I could never repay you the debt I owe, Don Sanchez.’

  ‘Be careful. We don’t know what has happened to them. They were looking for fugitives from Nazi Germany.’

  ‘I’ll take my gun.’

  ***

  Gloria wanted to send Sam into the toilet with the pregnancy testing kit as soon as they got home.

  ‘But I don’t need to do a pee.’

  ‘Well, as far as I know, you haven’t done one all day. So, unless you’re a camel, you’re a pretty poor liar. Pee on the stick and let’s get this over with.’

  ‘But what if it’s positive? I don’t want to know before we set out, in case it makes me afraid.’

  ‘Afraid of what?’

  ‘Afraid of losing the baby. Afraid of being a mother. Afraid in general.’

  ‘So, you’ve decided that you want it?’

  ‘Yes, no, I don’t know. But I don’t want to find out yet. Let’s do the test when we get back? Please?’

  ‘Hmm, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Wouldn’t you rather be put out of your misery? We should bring it with us and decide on the trip.’

  ‘I don’t think knowing I'm pregnant is going to make me feel less miserable than I do already. I’ll put the kit in my rucksack, I promise. I might change my mind on the road.’

  ‘I don’t understand how putting off the result is going to help you make a decision, but if you can’t face doing it now I guess we can wait a while.’

  ‘Thanks, I don’t feel able to do this right now. It’s the rest of my life in the balance.’

  ‘I know. Go to the toilet anyway and I’ll make some tea to refill your bladder.’

  Gloria went to the kitchen and set the table with cups and saucers and put a kettle on to boil. She was not convinced by Sam’s arguments against doing the test but she could understand the reluctance. Lighting a cigarette, she leant against the counter and waited for the kettle to whistle. The phone started to ring and she carried an ashtray out to the hall in case it was going to be a long one.

  ‘Hello. Who’s speaking, please?’

  No one spoke. Gloria heard the sound of coins being dropped into a payphone. She waited.

  ‘Hello? Is that Gloria Sanchez?’

  ‘Yes, it is. Please speak up, I can’t hear you well.’

  ‘It’s Ramon.’

  ‘Ramon? Ramon who?’

  ‘Ramon Vega, Alfredo’s friend.’

  Now it was Gloria’s turn to be silent.

  ‘Hello? Are you still there, Gloria?’

  ‘You’re alive? We thought you’d died in the fire. How did you get my number?’

  ‘Alfredo’s maid gave it to me. I wanted people to think that I’d died in the fire so they wo
uld leave me alone, but I’m alive.’

  ‘Whose were the bodies that the police found in the house? They said that one was found in the maid’s room and the other in your room. I presume the maid was in her bed but who was in yours?

  ‘I was having an affair with someone who came over to see me that night. We were in bed together and then she sent me to the off-licence to buy some wine. When I got back, the house was a furnace. There was nothing I could do.’

  ‘Do the police know?’

  ‘They do now, but they are keeping it quiet because the husband doesn’t want anyone to know how she died. He’s going to pretend she died in a car crash, I think.’

  ‘Alfredo’s devastated. He thinks you're dead.’

  ‘Where is he? I gave him an important document that I need to get back. He’s not answering his phone.’

  ‘Alfredo’s missing. He went into the mountains with an American journalist looking for the Nazis and they’ve disappeared.’

  ‘That’s awful news and I think it’s going to get worse. We need to publish the document as soon as possible to expose those people before they escape. Do you have any idea where it is?’

  ‘Yes, I know exactly where it is. I hid it in my father’s house but he doesn’t know that it’s there. It’s safe. Where are you?’

  ‘I’m in Miami. I flew out after the fire as I was afraid they would hunt me down if they realised that I was still alive.’

  ‘My father can send you the document by courier if you let him have the address. You need to ring him but wait until tomorrow. I’ll ring him myself today and tell him to give it to you.’

  ‘Okay, what’s his number?’

  Gloria dictated the number and then the beeps went. She could hear Ramon swearing as he tried to force more coins into the slot to no avail. The phone was cut off.

  She stood in the hall composing herself for a minute and then rang her father.

  ‘Papi, it’s me.’

  ‘Hello, darling. I was about to ring you. I’ve news about Segundo.’

  ‘I have news, too. Who should go first?’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘I hear from Ramon Vega, Alfredo’s friend. He’s in Miami.’

  ‘Ramon? Didn’t he die in a fire?’

  ‘It’s a long story. I’ll tell you another time.’

  ‘Okay, so what did this fellow want?’

  ‘He asked me if I knew where a report he had written was hidden. He gave it to Alfredo and he was trying to track it down.’

  ‘What’s this report about then?’

  ‘It’s an exposé of the collaboration between Germany and Sierramar during and after the second world war.’

  ‘Would this be the document that is hidden in a drawer of your mother’s chest in my bedroom?’

  ‘I should’ve known you’d find it. It contains incriminating research. There are people who don’t want it published and are prepared to do anything to stop it. Ramon’s house burnt down last week and he left the country because he was worried about his safety.’

  ‘So why do you have it?’

  ‘It was given to me by Alfredo after someone tried to burgle his house to steal it. I didn’t think anyone would think to look in your house. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.’

  ‘This document’s a dangerous piece of paper. Perhaps I should destroy it.’

  ‘Don’t do that, Papi. Ramon wants to publish it in Miami. He contacted me this evening and asked me if I would send it to him. I told him that you have it and he’s going to ring you tomorrow.’

  Hernan Sanchez was in a quandary. If the document was published, Holger Ponce and the rest of the collaborators might find out who kept it safe and that would be the end of his lucrative public contracts. On the other hand, he knew that the truth would not remain hidden much longer anyway, and the right thing to do was publish and be damned. He hedged his bets.

  ‘Off course, darling. I’ll talk to him and see what can be done.’

  ‘It’s vital, Papi. If the truth is published there is no reason for anyone to harm Alfredo and his friend for discovering the secret.’

  ‘I hear you. Now listen to me. Segundo cannot be here until tomorrow evening so I don’t want you to set out until he arrives. Is that clear?’

  ‘But…’

  ‘No buts. That’s an order.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘It’s too dangerous to go without him. I’m serious about this.’

  ‘Okay, Papi. I promise.’

  ‘Bye, darling. Ring me before you set out.’

  ‘I will. Bye.’

  Gloria was not happy but she knew he was right. One day shouldn’t make any difference but who knew what was going on? She went back into the kitchen where Sam was cradling a cup of tea.

  ‘So?’ she asked, ‘who was that?’

  CHAPTER 16

  September 1988

  Simon was in a complete panic. Talk about bad timing. How could he have been so stupid? He had dug himself a couple of holes in his life but this time he had tunnelled to the centre of the earth. And the worst thing was that he had done it because Hannah reminded him of Sam and he was feeling abandoned. In the end, he didn’t even tell her about Sam and the possible pregnancy. He doubted that she even remembered what happened. She was so drunk, well, they both were. She was so similar to Sam and at the same time so different, it was like being in a parallel universe until he woke up the next morning and realised what he had done. He snuck out of Hannah’s flat without waking her and he hadn’t been brave enough to contact her since. She was sure to be shell shocked, too.

  Why didn’t Hannah know about Sam’s pregnancy? He was so dumbstruck when Sam told him that he couldn’t remember what he had said. It couldn’t have been good because he was left holding the phone with a dialling tone ringing in his ear. What a bloody mess. He blamed Sam for going away and leaving him alone. She knew that he could resist everything except temptation. The worse thing was that having found himself in bed with Hannah only made him long for Sam. He wanted to live with her and keep her close to stop him from roaming. Now he had done something unforgiveable. He moaned and paced the room, gesticulating and talking to himself. Could he convince Hannah not to tell? Surely, she would agree rather than hurt her sister? She would be feeling worse than him. No matter how awkward it was, he would have to talk to Hannah and get her to agree to a vow of silence. Sam need never know. He would deal with the baby thing if it became a reality. Should they move in together and work from there? He found his address book and looked up Hannah’s number.

  ***

  Simon was not the only one in a panic. Hannah woke up alone, tangled up in bedlinen smelling of sex and wine. Her head was throbbing in a way that suggested it might explode. The nasty pain behind her eyes made her screw them up, stopping all but the tiniest glint of light from entering. This did not prevent her from noticing that there were stains on the bottom sheet that belonged to both types of liquid. Surely it was a dream? She couldn’t have slept with him. But the evidence spoke for itself. What a disaster! No one must ever find out. She could only imagine what her parents would think. And Sam? She blamed Sam for going away again. None of this would have happened if she had not gone prancing off to Sierramar leaving Simon home alone. She bundled the sheets up and stuffed them into the washing machine with her underwear and some random tea towels. Switching on the hottest wash, she went into the bathroom and immersed herself in the shower, trying to scrub herself free of fault with a loofah.

  ***

  ‘I don’t know what the point of this is.’

  Hannah stirred her coffee, avoiding Simon’s pleading look and staring past him out of the window at the plastic bags being blown around the bus stop.

  ‘We need to talk. You know we do.’

  ‘And what is there to say, Simon? You took advantage of me when I was drunk and now you want me to forget it ever happened. Or did I get that wrong?’

  Simon spluttered. ‘How can you say that? You took advantage o
f me and not the other way around. I was vulnerable and you went for the jugular. You’re no angel, either.’

  He put his head in his hands and ran his fingers through the tufts of hair above his ears. His shoulders slumped.

  ‘Okay, don’t panic, we’re both guilty. I was vulnerable after my breakup and you felt deserted by Indiana Jane. It was only sex.’

  ‘Just sex, huh? How come I can’t get it out of my head?’

  ‘Perhaps you enjoyed it?’ Hannah looked him straight in the face. ‘Or you like me? Has that ever occurred to you? It wouldn’t be the first time a man fancied more than one member of a family.’

  ‘Of course, I like you. You're funny and beautiful, but I love your sister.’

  ‘You can’t love her. You slept with me and you were quite passionate.’

  Simon knew this was true. But he was thinking about Sam at the time and the two bodies mingled in his mind and drove him crazy with desire. He wasn’t sure who he was with in the end but he couldn’t admit that. He did fancy Hannah and he was pretty sure it was mutual which was why he tended to avoid her. Why had he gone to her house? That was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question. He must have realised that this scenario was a possibility, for him anyway. He had told himself that he was going there to bask in the family resemblance and flirt a bit. He hadn’t banked on her being drunk and lonely and open to suggestion. And she smelt great and he was dying to touch her again and make her moan. He leant forward and breathed in her smell as she bent to put her cup on the table. They stopped with their faces almost touching, hardly daring to breathe. She went pink with desire. He put his hand behind her head and pulled her in for a kiss.

  ***

  The phone rang when Hernan Sanchez was walking by on his way to the bathroom. Tutting at the bad timing, he picked it up.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Good morning, Senor Sanchez.’

  ‘Good morning. Who is this? I’m in a hurry.’

  ‘It’s Ramon Vega, sir. I told your daughter that I’d contact you today.’

  ‘Oh, yes, how can I help you?’