“Berger had the formula for the rocket additive,” Shayne said.
“Of course,” Berger admitted. “Just the basic formula. Finch modified it. I did not exactly steal it. I copied it. Bonn merely wants to know how I had access to it. That is my secret.”
“Steiner would have had access,” Shayne said. “Steiner got around. The way I see it, Corelli made a deal with Steiner — half the money each and safe conduct for Corelli. Steiner wanted safety by then. He was supposed to be smart, and the end was in sight for Germany.
“I figure Corelli contacted Steiner and made a deal to lead his unit into a trap at that barrack. Then Steiner would save Corelli and they’d disappear with the money. Steiner knew no one could identify him, except Corelli. He probably planned to get rid of Corelli.
“But Finch loused it all up by betraying Corelli two days earlier. Corelli went to Russia and probably figured one American was in it with Steiner for the money. So he came looking for Finch and Maltz and Olney. Only Corelli ran into Steiner right here. Steiner killed him. Then Steiner killed Olney and Maltz. The only motive that made sense was that Corelli recognized someone.
“Even if Finch or Maltz or Olney had betrayed Corelli and taken the money, killing him would only have made it worse. They would have known Corelli wouldn’t come alone. The others would know about the betrayal, because they’d made the charge after the war. But if Corelli had made a deal, then Corelli would know what Steiner looked like.
“It had to be the answer. It explained why Corelli told his men that it was the Americans who cooked up the suicide attack. It was Corelli’s idea to get rid of everyone and get away with the money. And only Steiner would have wanted to kill Corelli. I don’t expect Steiner would live long if his own people ever found him.”
Shayne looked at Berger. The blond German had gone pale under his smile.
“Let me see your arm, Berger,” Shayne said. “It will either clear — or convict you.”
In the room no one moved. They all stared at Kurt Berger. The blond German was still smiling, but the smile was only on his mouth now. Shayne looked at his watch. Masters was already ten minutes late! Shayne lowered his shoulder slightly and fingered his pistol in his pocket.
“My arm?” Berger said.
“Steiner had a number from Auschwitz,” Shayne said. “I want to see both your arms. I want to see a number or a scar.”
“Scar? Number?” Berger said. “I have no scar or—”
Max Helpman had half risen from his seat. His face was red with fury. Shayne swung toward Helpman.
“A scar, Shayne? Low, on the right wrist? Maybe a faint trace of what looked like writing or figures still—” The shot rang out in the silence of the room with a sound like the explosion of a bomb. Helpman jerked stiff. The bald man stared at Shayne. Then Helpman fell on his face.
Finch and Berger started toward him. Shayne was not looking at Helpman at all. He was looking at Sally Helpman. The tall, slender woman stood with the small pistol smoking in her right hand.
“Don’t bother,” Sally Helpman said to Berger and Finch. “I don’t miss. He’s dead. I never liked him anyway, the American pig. All of you, back! Against that wall. Quick!” Shayne made a faint motion with his arm.
“No, Shayne!” Sally Helpman said. “I’ll kill you in a minute. You did very well on this. We could have used a man like you. Is this what you wanted to see?”
The tall, slender woman held out her right wrist. She pulled back the sleeve. There was a scar about two inches long on the wrist. It was faintly discolored.
“I told them the Auschwitz job was too risky for me. I was far too valuable to be marked in any way. I was the one Gestapo agent no one ever knew — not even Hitler! But they were fools. You guessed correctly, Shayne. I made the deal with Corelli. Finch ruined it and those idiots in Italy sent Corelli away before I could silence him.
“I met Helpman in the hospital where I was posing as an American nurse. It was my chance to run for cover. I had to take it. I knew we were beaten. I was safe in America until Corelli came here. I had to kill him. I killed them all.”
Shayne said, “I almost admire you. You’re a very clever woman. Why didn’t you kill me and the Italians out there on the dunes? You were there, Mrs. Helpman. Why?”
“Colonel Steiner!” the deep voice of the woman snapped. “I was a full Colonel in the Gestapo!” Then the woman smiled a thin smile. “Female vanity, I apologize, Shayne. You and the Italians? I heard, they knew nothing about me. I do not kill for nothing.
“And if you are stalling for time, Shayne, don’t bother. Masters will be at least another five minutes. You see, I raised the drawbridge. He will have to go the long way, by another bridge. Now, if you will all line up I will—”
A siren sounded in the distance. Masters was no fool. The woman listened. Then she shrugged.
“He made good time. You are lucky. I have my time schedule.”
The woman vanished through the open French doors. Shayne started after her in a split second. Finch ran for the windows. Finch was a step ahead of Shayne when the window blew up. Shayne was bowled over.
When he got to his feet the French doors were a shambles and Finch was stretched out flat on his back. Shayne bent over the industrialist. Finch was badly hurt but alive. Shayne dashed out the doors.
A motor started not far away. A boat motor. Shayne dashed toward the water. He had gone a hundred yards and was just coming up over the dunes when his feet were caught and he fell head-long. There was a sharp pain in his right calf.
Swearing, Shayne disentangled himself from the barbed wire. He reached the top of the dune just in time to see the faint shadow of a small boat fade into the night.
By the time Shayne returned to the house, Masters was there with his men. The Captain was very angry.
“Damned drawbridge was up!” Masters said. “The controls were locked and there was no operator in sight.”
“She was very smart,” Shayne said. “She fooled me. I expect you’ll find the operator dead somewhere.”
“She? She who?” Masters said.
Shayne explained it all to Masters. The ambulance came for Finch. Laura Finch went with her husband. Berger shrugged and smiled and crossed to the liquor cabinet for a drink.
Macadam had been drinking for ten minutes, and Myrna Mix was matching him glass for glass.
“The thing that made me sure it was Steiner was the killing of Maltz and Olney.” Shayne explained. “You see, the only thing that Finch, Maltz, and Olney had in common was that they all knew Corelli. And the only thing that Finch did not have in common with Olney and Maltz was that he had not seen or talked with Corelli. Corelli never got to Finch. If he had, Finch would be dead.
“Steiner, or whatever her real name is, was a real pro. She did not kill without a reason, without something to be gained. When the Italians and myself were sitting ducks she left us alone. That was another hint that started the wheels turning. We had been talking about Steiner, and the Italians knew nothing.
“So I guessed that Corelli had been killed because he knew who Steiner was. Maltz and Olney were killed simply because they had talked to Corelli, and Steiner had no way of knowing what Corelli had told them. She was taking no chances.
“Steiner, or Mrs. Helpman, didn’t even know Corelli was still alive. It must have been quite a shock when she saw him. She had a good cover. No one would suspect an American nurse, a woman, the wife of an American ex-OSS man. But she knew that if we once even guessed, even suspected, we would check into her fake American background. We’d find there never was a Sally someone who was a nurse in Italy.