Searching for Edgar's Five Dancers

by Efren O'brien

  The bastard is a Russian agent, after all…Good Lord! Quinn said to himself.

  The tall FBI agent then yelled out, “This is a National Security investigation now under the direction of the FBI! I want everyone out of this cellar now! You are not to touch or remove anything from this room as you leave…that would be a Federal crime and you will be prosecuted!”

  Nobody noticed, but Quinn quickly stuffed Laszlo Tibor’s photograph inside his coat before walking up the creaky wooden staircase into the large warehouse above.

  Chapter Lv

  The next morning, Ethan and Quinn knocked on Laszlo Tibor’s…Vitali Chetkin’s…door. He quickly answered. “We need to talk right now,” said Ethan. Chetkin still held a hot compress up to his jaw where Quinn had hit him.

  “I know we’ve had our issues, but we’re here in your best interest now,” Quinn began. “I was with the FBI and the police last night when we raided the warehouse in the railyard and found your transmitter, electronic equipment, and short-wave radio, Laszlo…Vitali…or whoever you really are. They’ve got all the files—everything. My advice to you is to leave Santa Fe as soon as you can or you’ll be arrested, probably as early as tomorrow morning. Here, this picture was near the radio transmitter. I picked it up before anyone else saw it. They’re gonna have all the files, and everything else in those two rooms. It’s probably only a matter of hours before they come looking for you,” Quinn said.

  Vitali took the photo from Quinn while simultaneously pulling matches from his pocket. He then said, “Excuse me,” walked into the bathroom, and lit the photographic portrait of himself on fire over the bathroom sink. When finished burning his own portrait, he came back into the main room.

  “So, gentlemen, you know where I come from and who I work for. But you don’t know what I am working on, and what my purpose here is,” Vitali said. “Let me tell you…there’s research going on around here that is revolutionary and will change the world!” he said. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I can’t leave here!” he said. “They’d just catch me at an airport or train terminal. No…I wait for them instead.”

  “You could easily be hung or shot for what you’ve done,” said Quinn.

  “I accept whatever fate has in store for me, Mr. Chase. But my mission here was just beginning. The Soviet Union and United States are allies in this war. My government will not turn its back on me. Something will be worked out.”

  “What about the paintings? Is there a large cache in Santa Fe?” asked Quinn.

  “At any given time, there may be 30 or so stolen paintings hidden for a time in Santa Fe, before they are moved out to the West Coast and eventually smuggled by ship to South America,” Vitali said. “It has been going on for some time and will continue as long as the police here look the other way,” he said. “There are many people in this town involved in the underground trade of the art. The list would surprise you, Mr. Chase.”

  “Do you know who killed Marika Kraus?” asked Quinn.

  “No, honestly I don’t, but I have my suspicions, Mr. Chase. However, I won’t suggest a name without more proof. I swear to you though I had nothing to do with her killing. Like I told you, she and I balanced each other out in our clandestine world,” he said.

  “Tell me about this research up on The Hill you mentioned earlier,” Quinn demanded. “They’re not making electric missiles up there, are they?”

  Tibor displayed a sarcastic smile. “It’s a new form of science, Mr. Chase. It’s something so fantastic the normal person wouldn’t even be able to comprehend or imagine it. This new science eventually will transform the world! There are scientists from all over the world involved! But most people speaking German up there are the Jewish scientists the Nazis expelled. Dumb of them, wasn’t it?”

  Just then there was a banging on Laszlo Tibor’s suite door. “Open up! This is the police. We have a warrant!”

  Tibor complied and opened the door. Standing in the hallway with guns drawn were FBI Agents Sauer and Ridnell with five police officers. “Vitali Chetkin?” asked the smaller and more vocal FBI agent.

  “Yes, that is my real name,” said Tibor.

  “You are under arrest for violating the Foreign Espionage Act of 1917, Title 50, US Code. Turn around, with your hands behind your back, now!” said Agent Sauer.

  Chetkin looked at Quinn in the eye just before being ushered out and said, “Did I play my role well? If so, then applause, because the comedy is finished! Those were the last words uttered by Roman Emperor Augustus. Goodbye Mr. Chase!”

  And then Vitali Chetkin was ushered out and was gone, never to return to America or be seen by Ethan Clark or Quinn Chase again.

  Chapter Lvi

  Quinn once again realized how much he needed to rely on Katrina. He managed to see Katrina once or twice a week, despite Joel Finebaum’s efforts to keep him away. It seemed like the more they were supposed to stay away from one another, the more fate brought them closer. Their typical date night was dinner out at one of Santa Fe’s more simple restaurants, and then a long walk, culminating in romantic interludes at Fort Marcy Park. The physical attraction between the pair was obvious. Emotionally, they appeared to be on the same level too. But in life, many factors can influence one’s romantic destiny. It remained to be seen what if any obstacles would stand in the way of Quinn and Katrina’s deepening affection.

  It was a Thursday night, and Quinn was set to be at the Finebaum Gallery at 6:00 p.m. to pick Katrina up for their date. Before leaving his motel, Quinn walked outside and saw Dixie sifting through the trash at the far end of the building. This time, Dixie had her small daughter with her, standing off to the side. The little girl couldn’t have been more than four years old. Quinn watched for a minute or two and then limped towards them cautiously.

  “So, you’re back again,” he said.

  Dixie turned her head towards him and smiled as she continued peering into the large trash can. The little girl looked up too. She was small in height and had reddish hair with freckles and appeared slightly disheveled. “Are you gonna’ tell on me and get me in trouble, mister?” Dixie sarcastically asked and brandished a smile. “I’m really not doin’ any harm.”

  Quinn came closer. “I see you’ve got someone taggin’ along today,” he said. The little girl smiled and looked up at Quinn.

  “This is my little girl, Haley,” Dixie said.

  “Hello, Haley, my name’s Quinn,” he said as he smiled at the little girl about one-fourth his size.

  “Hello” was all the little girl said as she ran to her mother’s side and grabbed onto Dixie’s pantleg, looking back at Quinn. Haley then coughed several times.

  “Thanks again for the coins,” said Dixie. “I bought Haley clothes and shoes at Salvation Army, and we ate good all week long,” she said.

  “Good. I’m glad,” Quinn stated. “How old is she?” asked Quinn as the little girl stared up at him.

  “She just turned four years old,” said Dixie.

  “Well, she looks like her mother,” Quinn stated.

  “She’s got my personality too. Fiesty and stubborn! Nothin’ gets by her!” said Dixie.

  Quinn laughed. “I can sense that!”

  The little girl coughed loudly several more times.

  “Well, thanks for the money, and it’s been good talkin’ with you again, mister,” said Dixie, “but we’ve got to be on our way.”

  “Where are you going from here?” asked Quinn. “You should have someone—a nurse or doctor—look at your daughter’s cough.”

  “Oh, she’ll be alright…she has a little cold, that’s all.”

  “I can call a cab for you,” Quinn said.

  “Thanks, but that’s okay. We like to walk. We have several more places to check out, anyway. Come on, Haley,” Dixie said as she took the little girl’s hand. “Say goodbye to this nice man.”

  “It’s Quinn…Call me Quinn.”

  The little girl waved goodbye with her free hand as she and her
mother began to walk away in the opposite direction.

  “Be safe out there and stay warm!” Quinn yelled.

  Dixie turned around and waved. Quinn stood and watched the mother and her small daughter walk up and over the knoll behind the Pueblo Inn motel and disappear over the small hill.

  He called Manny and got a lift to pick up Katrina at the gallery. On this night they went to Lou’s Diner. Lou’s was a local diner in the 1940s sense. A narrow building made to resemble the dining car of a train, with an eating counter and a few booths. Lou Gibson, the owner himself, was the cook, and he had two waitresses who helped him out. The food was simple at Lou’s, but good.

  “I’ve missed seeing you the last week,” Quinn said to Katrina.

  “Me too,” she said. “It’s been a long week, and my Uncle Joel can be demanding.”

  “It seems like he doesn’t want me around,” said Quinn.

  “Well, business has been slow and that nosey police detective with the long coat has been coming around lately,” she said. “Since everything that happened in Germany and New York, my uncle doesn’t trust many people. Especially the police, because they remind him of the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police.”

  “Katrina, I understand if you never want to talk about your time in Germany,” said Quinn.

  “It was a terrible and very fearful time for us,” she said.

  “But your life is different now, and you should try to forget about that past and look forward to the future life you want here,” said Quinn.

  “I try, but it’s not that easy to forget such horrible things,” she said. “In some ways it will always remain with me.”

  It was now about 7:00 in the evening. The sun was beginning to disappear over the horizon. “Sometimes I try and make sense of what happened, and what is going on in Germany,” she said. “It’s so different over there. Now I can sit in this peaceful park and look up at the clouds in the sky with no worries or concerns,” she said. “I couldn’t do that over there. We were worried something would happen to us whenever we went out in public. My father was an apothecary in our village near Darmstadt, and had his own shop. I had a wonderful childhood and life with my friends in our village…going to school and summers and holidays. But things changed for us in 1930, and things changed so fast.”

  Katrina continued…“It started for me at school. Our teacher started talking about what it meant to be a loyal German citizen. She made me sit in the back of my class. Then rocks were thrown through the front window of our shop, wrapped in poster paper that called us names and with threats of what they would do to us! My mother was walking down the street, and the town brownshirts threw stones at her. She wasn’t hurt that day, but she never left our house alone after that. It got worse right up to the time we left.”

  “Forget those things! Try to forget them at least,” said Quinn as he put his arms around her. “You’re safe here with me now…It’s still a beautiful world, Katrina! Nobody wants to harm you here,” he said.

  “Look at those clouds up in the sky.” “They look like deer or antelope galloping across the sky, don’t they? Maybe that’s exactly what they’re doing,” said Quinn. “Maybe they’re galloping across the sky looking for a home…like all of us are.”

  She looked up too. They stared for a minute before their eyes met each other’s.…Seconds later their lips touched and locked in what would last for several minutes of sweet bliss. “I don’t want you to be afraid, Katrina. No one will hurt you here… I promise,” he whispered in her ear.

  Chapter LVii

  In the early 1940’s, Werner Karl Heisenberg, the man credited for developing quantum mechanics for which he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932, gave a lecture regarding nuclear fission at the Harnack Haus in Berlin, Germany. This was at the famous Max Planck Physics Institute which was considered the “Oxford” of Germany at the time. Although he and his researchers were physicists and professors, they worked for and were funded by the German Army. In attendance that day, along with other professors, were high-ranking German Army generals. Like most military organizations and projects in Nazi Germany, Heisenberg’s Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics (KWIP) was run in a decentralized manner to create competition between it and Kurt Diebner’s larger, more political organization, the Heereswaffenamt, (HWA). The Nazi brass and Hitler were paranoid, and did not trust any single military or governmental agency becoming too powerful. Hitler saw this as a way to prevent any serious internal threat to his power, as these organizations would always have to compete against one another for his favor.

  During this lecture, Heisenberg explained that the nuclear fission process would take years of research and development. Their efforts were slowed down by the lack of heavy water now being delivered from the Norsk Hydro Plant in Norway, which was essential for even moderate nuclear reactions. Heisenberg stated that energy obtained from splitting uranium atoms would best be used for civilian pursuits like providing energy for German cities, but the military officers assembled on this date were interested in the military applications of atomic energy.

  “Can this physics be used to construct a bomb?” one general asked.

  “It is feasible on paper and in the research laboratory,” Heisenberg answered. “But we are still in the early stages of research,” he cautioned. “We would need to first develop an atomic reactor and conduct a lot of testing. We would need more resources and money unfortunately before we could begin constructing a weapon of any type.”

  He tried to convince the generals that the development of atomic energy would have to be a national effort, combining research at several labs and testing facilities in Germany where they worked in sync and under a centralized command. Maybe even operating in different countries but with one definite chain of command. He mentioned the assistance of scientists from other countries that the Reich would need to rely on. Heisenberg even credited several Jewish scientists for their contributions to German research. When he made these comments, he could see the frowns and scowls on many of the generals’ faces.

  “Why should we spend time and money on this form of energy, Professor Heisenberg?” one of the general’s questioned.

  “What will be the benefit to the war effort?” another general asked.

  “That is not an easy question to answer,” said Heisenberg. “But, a small amount of enriched uranium undergoing the right reaction could create an explosion equal to, say, 10 kilotons of TNT. Thus, small quantities that undergo the proper reaction can yield incredible bursts of energy.”

  The murmurs among the crowd raised the volume level considerably. “Aaagh!” were the gasps of surprise from the impeccably uniformed and groomed group of senior Nazi officers. Then another general in attendance asked Heisenberg, “Professor, if such a weapon could be constructed, what size bomb would it take to say…destroy a city the size of Paris?”

  Heisenberg sighed before answering the question. “That is a difficult hypothetical question, General. Many factors would need to be considered, and all based on our current research and progress. But, if such a weapon with this type of energy were developed, it probably wouldn’t take a large bomb to destroy a city like Paris. A bomb roughly the size of a pineapple might be sufficient.”

  Again, there was an overwhelming gasp from the crowd assembled, and then the officer who asked the question stood up and began to applaud. Before Heisenberg could say another word, all 100 senior Army officers present were on their feet applauding. For this revelation about the potential of atomic energy, Werner Heisenberg received a four-minute standing ovation.

  Chapter LVIii

  “You know what it is we need, Finebaum,” said Franz Dietrich, the new Nazi spy and courier.

  “You can’t come here again, Dietrich,” said Joel Finebaum. “We’re probably being watched right now. You know Berndt Kruger was suspiciously murdered in the alley right behind us not too long ago.”

  “Have someone drop off the pictures with a canvas cover. I’ll pick them up
and be gone. I’ll be out of Santa Fe within a few hours,” said Dietrich.

  “Okay, since we won’t be doing this again for quite some time, my niece will drop them off on the expected date and time,” Joel said. “For this, what assurances do I have that my family in Germany will remain safe?”

  “Here are some recent photographs of your family in Theresienstadt. Joel…Joel, you are an asset to the Reich. Your contribution is valued, and appreciated,” said Dietrich. “Of course your family is well cared for and happy in Germany! Germany is a happy place! We are not villains and animals! We do what we must for the protection of our people from others who want to harm us. Just look at these pictures. This is a mutually beneficial relationship. Have her drop the watercolors off at the far end of the Guadalupe St. Bridge this Friday at 10:25 p.m. when there are fewer pedestrians out. Have her lay the watercolors on the ground and leaning against the cement base of bridge on Don Gaspar Avenue. I’ll be close by to pick them up,” Dietrich said.

  Joel Finebaum nodded in affirmation that he understood.

  “Remember, 10:25, Friday evening, sharp.” Dietrich then turned and walked out the back door and into the dark night.

  “Katrina, you know what you must do this Friday for me…and for our family. You will drop off the package at the Guadalupe St. Bridge. You must do this correctly.”

  “Yes, Uncle, but I did have a date that night,” Katrina said.

  “Not with Mr. Chase, Katrina!” Katrina nodded affirmatively. “I told you not to see that man, Katrina! He’s a former policeman and an investigator. Our future and that of our family depend on secrecy and us carrying out our mission here! That man has no understanding of what we’ve been through…or how serious the stakes are for our family. I made a big mistake by telling him you were here! You cannot continue to see him!”

  “Don’t worry, Uncle. He’s a friend to me, that’s all. I won’t discuss anything about the art gallery or any of our family matters. I don’t even talk about myself that much with him. I can’t lock myself in my room,” she said.