"What did it tell you?" Bormann snapped.
"That we were lucky we didn't lose the Oceano Pacifico's special cargo-the Operation Phoenix special cargo-as well as Goltz and Griiner."
"It didn't say what happened, or who is responsible," Bor mann said.
"I would hazard the guess that either the papal nuncio or the American OSS is responsible," Himmler said sarcasti cally.
"There has to be someone in the embassy," Admiral
Canaris said.
The others looked at him. Canaris, too, was a short fifty five-year-old whose face was just starting to jowl. He had been a U-boat commander in World War I.
"I didn't know Goltz well, but Griiner was a good man,"
Canaris went on. "And from what little we know, I agree with Himmler that it was almost certainly the OSS-meaning that someone had to tell them not only what was going on but where and when."
"I will of course defer to the both of you in this area," von
Ribbentrop said, nodding at Himmler and Canaris. "But I did have the thought that the Argentines themselves might be responsible. They are, after all, Latin. Latins practice revenge. The two killings might be in retribution for the unfortunate death of Oberst Frade."
"They're capable of it," Canaris said thoughtfully. "That's worth thinking about."
Canaris was the acknowledged expert in this group about things Argentine. Not only had he been interned by the
Argentines during the First World War, but he had escaped from them.
"It was the OSS," Bormann pronounced.
"Von Lutzenberger's cable said other details were avail able," Himmler said. "Details he obviously did not wish to transmit in a radio message. And he provided us with the names of those people privy to those details."
"What do we know about those people?" Bormann asked.
"I took the trouble to review their dossiers," Himmler said, "this afternoon."
"And?" Canaris asked.
"Gradny-Sawz's family," Himmler began, "has served the
Austro-Hungarian diplomatic service for generations, and
Gradny-Sawz has followed in that tradition. Sometime before the Anschluss," he went on, referring to the 1938 incorporation of Austria into the German Reich, which men became the German state of Ostmark, "he was approached by one of my men, who solicited his cooperation. Gradny Sawz not only readily offered it, but was of no small value to us during the Anschluss."
"From one perspective-the Austrian perspective-that could have been viewed as treason," Admiral Donitz said.
Donitz, the tallest of the group, was fifty-two, slim, and intelligent looking.
"Or enlightened self-interest," Bormann said, chuckling.
"The man who recruited Gradny-Sawz was Standarten fuhrer Goltz, who himself was recruited by Oberfubrer von
Deitzberg," Himmler said. "Goltz had been close friends with Gradny-Sawz for years."
"And the others?" Bormann asked.
"Sturmbannfuhrer Werner von Tresmarck," Himmler said,
"was recruited for this assignment by Goltz. He worked for
Goltz here. Goltz had absolute confidence in him."
"That leaves the aviator," Bormann said.
"Major Freiherr Hans-Peter von Wachtstein," Himmler said, "the son of Generalleutnant Graf Karl-Friedrich von
Wachtstein…"
"Who is on the staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrma cht," Donitz added. "The family has served Germany for hundreds of years." The Oberkommando was the High
Command of the armed forces.
"The boy-I suppose I shouldn't call him 'the boy'- received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross from the
Fiihrer himself," Canaris chimed in.
"And whose two brothers have laid down their lives for the Fatherland in this war," Donitz added.
"So these three are above suspicion, is that what you're saying?" Bormann challenged. "Somebody has talked to the
Americans."
"Or to the Argentines," Canaris said. "Von Ribbentrop may well be onto something. The Argentines are quite capable of taking revenge. I was a little uncomfortable with the decision to remove Oberst Frade."
"You think that's possible, do you?" Himmler asked.
"Anything in Argentina is possible," Canaris replied. "We haven't mentioned von Lutzenberger himself. I have nothing to suggest that he is anything but wholly reliable. Do you?"
"No," Himmler said simply.
"So where are we?" Bormann asked. "Two very good men are dead. What we sent to Argentina is now somewhere in the South Atlantic Ocean en route to Cadiz…"
"Everything we sent over there," Donitz said. "We should not forget that in addition to the special shipment, the
Oceano Pacifico was carrying supplies for twenty-seven submarines operating in the South Atlantic."
"What about a rendezvous at sea?" Himmler asked.
"I began to work on that the moment I saw von Lutzen berger's cable," Donitz said. "Possibly something can be worked out. But it is not easy. And so far as the Oceano
Pacifico is concerned, it's out of the question. She is being followed by an American destroyer. And, unless I am being unduly pessimistic, I don't think the new Argentine govern ment will allow us to anchor a ship in their protected waters again."
"The more I think about it, the American involvement in this might be less than I thought at first," Canaris said.
"In any case," Bormann said, "our own priority, it seems to me, is to make certain that the special cargo of Operation
Phoenix is safely landed in Argentina."
"Safely landed," Canaris agreed. "Not lost at sea, not falling into the hands of the Argentines. Or, God forbid, the
Americans."
"Do you think the Argentines know-or suspect-any thing about the special cargo?" Donitz asked.
"You will recall, Admiral," Canaris said, "that one of the
American OSS agents was reported to have asked questions on that subject."
"Reported by von Tresmarck," Himmler said, "who rec ommended his removal."
"That happened, didn't it?" Bormann asked.
"Von Tresmarck dealt with the problem," Himmler said.
"We don't know how much he found out-or passed on-before he was removed," Canaris said. "And he was a
Jew. Jews talk to Jews."
"It would seem to me, gentlemen, with all respect,"
Himmler said, "that we have only a few facts before us.
Making decisions with so few facts is counterproductive.
Thus we need to talk to someone who, as von Lutzenberger said, is 'personally familiar' with the incident."
Canaris grunted his agreement, then asked: "Which of them? All of them?"
Himmler did not respond to the question directly. "The first thing we have to do is learn what we're facing."
"I agree," Canaris said.
"And the way to do that," Himmler went on, "is to send people to Buenos Aires to find out, and bring some of the people on von Lutzenberger's list here, to get their stories.
Once we have decided what the situation is, we can decide how to deal with it."
"Go on," Bormann said.
"What I suggest-what I intend to do immediately, unless there is serious objection-is to send my adjutant, Ober fiihrer von Deitzberg, and his deputy, Standartenfuhrer
Raschner, to Buenos Aires. As you know, von Deitzberg is conversant with all the details of this program. Between the two of them they can determine how this disaster came about."
"You mean, conduct the investigation entirely in
Argentina?" Canaris asked.
"Oh, no. The same plane that takes my men to Argentina will bring to Berlin some of the people on von Lutzen berger's list."
"Who, specifically?" Bormann asked.
"If I send von Deitzberg, that would permit me to bring von Tresmarck to Berlin," Himmler said.
"I would like to personally hear what von Tresmarck has to say," Canaris said.
"With that in mind," von Ribbentrop said, "What if I send von Lowzer? And bring back Gradny-Sawz?"
"Who is Lowzer?" Donitz asked.
"Deputy Minister Georg Friedrich von Lowzer," von