Neither of them said a word as they checked out of the hotel and got into the car, Jake lingering at the trunk, glancing around to make sure nobody was looking, and then swapping out guns. Then he put two full clips into an inner pocket of his leather coat he had made for them.
Jake got behind the wheel and sat for a moment.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to jump on you. It’s just that I feel like a subordinate and not a partner.”
“That’s my fault,” Jake said. “I assure you, though, it has nothing to do with your gender. I do that to everyone until I know them better.”
“That could be a problem.”
He let out a deep sigh. “I know. It makes it tough for me to get to know people. Most pull away before that happens.”
She looked deep into his eyes. “I’m not that easy to get rid of, Jake Adams.”
Thank God. “I’ll try to be better. Just give me some time.”
“Super. It looks like time is what we have,” she said. “We’ve got some driving to do. Can we stop by my place in Vienna to pick up some more clothes?”
Jake smiled and said, “You don’t like my T-shirt?”
She wiggled in her chair. “The shirt’s fine, but I could use some underwear.”
Jake started the car and let it warm. “Great. Now I have to think of you without underwear all the way to Vienna.”
“Was that a sexual thought?”
Damn straight. He pulled out and headed toward the autobahn without answering her.
Like any bureaucracy with multiple law enforcement agencies, turf wars were inevitable. Austria was no exception, and Kriminal Hauptkommisar Franz Martini knew this better than anyone in Vienna, where he had, in his short tenure there, run into stone walls with the Staatpolizei chain of command fighting for position against the city polizei. And when the various intelligence agencies got involved. Well, he didn’t even want to think about that. Martini had felt like he was swimming upstream in the Donau during the spring floods. Maybe he should have stayed in Tirol and his comfortable job in Innsbruck, where at least he knew all of the players and how each would react during a crisis. But now, with the triple homicide at the Donau Bar looming over him, maybe he should consider retirement. Not until he found the killers, though. After that.
His doctor had called again, first his cell phone at home and then his office phone, urging him to schedule surgery to remove his prostate. He had told the good doctor he’d get his turn to cut on him soon enough. But it could wait a couple of weeks. Until he cleared this case. If he cleared this case, or at least until it went cold.
Sitting now in his office on the third floor of the polizei headquarters regional office, Martini clicked the keys of his computer. He had been frustrated the last couple of days. Albrecht had disappeared and Martini could assume his fate was much like the two men who worked for him and were gunned down in the bar. How did Jake Adams fit into the equation? Sure he trusted Jake, but what was his motivation? He wasn’t saying all he knew, that was certain. The warehouse and the other man with Jake; that had been strange. Martini didn’t believe for a minute that the man worked for a computer company. He knew an intelligence agent when he saw one.
Martini’s only hope was his inside informer. At least he was getting some information. Wait a minute. He brought up a screen on the computer. Albrecht had used his Visa yesterday in Steyr. What the hell was he doing there? Martini smiled and thought again about Jake Adams. Albrecht had been stashed there by Adams. But there was no way Adams would have allowed the man to use his Visa. That was a dumb move. Shaking his head, Martini knew he had no other choice. He had to call Karl Schmidt in Linz and have him drive down to Steyr and look for Albrecht. Schmidt was one of the most abrasive officers in Austria, his tactics borderline Gestapo. He pulled up the electronic file on the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order and then e-mailed Schmidt. Then he called Schmidt and told him what to do. Officially Martini was Schmidt’s boss, but that man worked for nobody but himself.
Jack Donicht came to the door and popped his head inside, knocking on the doorframe. “Sir, do you have a second?”
Martini was just hanging up with Schmidt. “Come on in. What ya got?”
Donicht took a seat across the desk and said, “That problem you had me looking into…the possible mole?”
“Ja?” Out with it. Damn it, Donicht, get to the point for a change.
“I’ve traced it to the Administrative Branch.”
Martini’s eyes got larger. “Of the Staatpolizei headquarters here in Vienna?”
Donicht nodded.
“Can you be more specific?”
Shifting in his chair, Donicht said, “Interpol liaison.”
Martini jumped to his feet and pounded his hands on his desk. “What? How is that possible?”
Now Donicht was smiling. “I accessed phone records and e-mails.”
Martini lowered himself back into his seat. He thought about his own contacts and wondered if Donicht knew about those as well. “And?”
“Sir, this is what you asked me to do.”
“I know. Continue.”
“Your friend there, Anna Schult…she seems to be out of the loop. Her partner broke his leg skiing recently, so she’s been working on her own.”
“You know I know this,” Martini said, somewhat disturbed. “What do you have?”
“I think Schult is working some special project,” Donicht said. “Officially she’s on Christmas leave, but she has been fairly active accessing the Interpol database and her phone calls.”
Now Martini was getting nervous, but he tried not to show it. “So? Maybe she’s finishing up some work. Do you remember the last time I took vacation?”
Donicht smiled and said, “Yes, sir. Six months ago. But you worked from home. I remember your phone calls to me, and me telling you to enjoy your damn vacation.”
“Well, there you go.” Time to come clean. “You know she provides me information.”
“That would explain her calls to you,” Donicht said. “Including the call this morning from her cell phone.”
Martini picked up a pencil and twirled it in his fingers. “It’s good to have contacts with various organizations, Jack. You know that.”
“And why does Anna help you?”
“I knew her father,” Martini said. “We were in the Army together. I’ve known Anna since she was a little girl in Zell am See. Followed her career. I recommended her for Interpol directly out of Army Intel.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Jack, you don’t make contacts like that known to everyone. But what does this have to do with our suspected mole?”
“Nothing, sir. I was just curious about Schult and you. Thought you might have a thing for her.”
“My God, Jack. She’s like a daughter to me.”
“She is beautiful.”
“No doubt. Now get to the point.”
“All right. The Interpol liaison has been feeding information to people in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland.”
“Isn’t that his job?”
Donicht opened a small notebook. “Normally, sir, to other law enforcement agencies in those countries. But in this case he’s sending information to private citizens.”
Leaning forward on his desk, Martini said, “Are you sure?”
“Yes, sir.” Donicht flipped to another page. “Tried to cover his tracks, but I sifted through the filters. All of the men are former Brothers of the Teutonic Order.”
“Who’s the damn mole?”
Donicht said the man’s name, which meant nothing to Martini.
In return, Martini told Donicht about Albrecht’s Visa use in Steyr, and how he had put Schmidt on the case there.
“Let’s go have a talk with this Interpol liaison,” Martini said, getting to his feet and slinging his suit jacket over his shoulders.