SINS of the FATHER

by Marshall Huffman

  Gégorie made him a copy and tucked the phone number Kluge had given him into his desk drawer.

  “I suppose I don’t have to tell you that I was never here, do I Gégorie?” Kluge said, stopping to look at him as he was leaving.

  “Tell who was here? All I remember is Finkel being here,” Gégorie replied, smiling at Kluge.

  “Excellent.”

  Gégorie stood there for several seconds just breathing in and out. It had been a close call. Kluge was a psychopath. Of that he was certain. He went back to his office and started to work on the visas. The first two were totally crap he decided and threw them in his burn basket. No doubt, if he didn’t call and let Kluge know what he found out, it would not end well for him. If he did then he would have to deal with Brandt and his merry gang of thugs. No matter what he did it did not look very promising.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  It was going on 2:00 a.m. and Alan was still not asleep. He had been lying there reliving everything he knew from the time he first picked up the diary and read it. What was foremost on his mind is if it was all true, where was the money and if it wasn’t true, why did his grandfather let his son think it was true.

  One was just as big a mystery as the other. The money. Why did everyone assume he knew where it was? If anyone would have known it would have been his own father. Why didn’t he try to find it or was he too ashamed of his dad to even care? The more he thought the more confused the whole picture became.

  And then there was the Brandt thing. How did they find out about him being here? Clouse? That didn’t seem likely. They seemed to hate him. How did they even know he would come? He was exhausted just thinking about all of it. Brandt said he knew where they had been. Did that mean Clouse didn’t put the tracking device on the car? Damn. All he had was a bunch of disjointed questions and not one real answer.

  Another thing that he thought about was Kate. He was sure the first time he ever laid eyes on her was in the shuttle bus that took them to the airport. Then again later she directed him to the right line. He saw he once again on the plane but after that, nothing. She couldn’t have been tracking his movements. So why is she really with him? Hardly his boyish good looks. Although it was flattering to think along those lines, he knew he wasn’t all that special.

  He got up and took his clothes the bathroom and dressed. He went down to the car and checked it for another device but found nothing.

  He was sitting on the curb when a voice behind him said, “Restless Mr. Lang?”

  He was startled and jumped up.

  “Easy. Sorry to alarm you. I just saw you sitting there after you checked the car. I see you didn’t find anything,” Durr said, stepping out of the darkness.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Why keeping an eye on you. You gave us quite a bit of uneasiness today when you took off in your sail boat. You can imagine all the thoughts we had running through our heads,” Durr said.

  It was too dark to see his facial features.

  “All we did was take the day off from all of this foolishness. You are right, I am restless. All I do is ask myself questions. So far all I get is a longer list of unknown things and it is really wearing me down. I’m just about ready to pack it in and go home. Everyone keeps reminding me that it was a long time ago. Hell, everything could be long gone by now and no one would ever know. If I had any sense at all I would just go back and forget the whole damn thing. Finding out what happened won’t bring my father and grandfather any closer. It won’t help your grandfathers. So really what’s the point?” Alan said, rubbing the bridge of his nose and then running his hand over his head.

  “It’s human nature. We all want to solve a mystery. It is the way we are wired. We want to go to the moon, Mars and beyond. Why? Will it really change anything here on earth? Will it do you any good in your personal life? No, I think not, but there you have it. Man is driven to find out the truth.”

  “I always thought it was greed.”

  “Well, yes, there is that too,” he said and chuckled.

  “So, let’s say somehow the treasure is found. By some miracle we stumble over it. Or I find it and you come along and want your share. Do you think I believe for one minute you will just let me walk away with part of the gold and diamonds?”

  “Why not?”

  “Come on Durr. Clouse would have killed me the minute he or I found it. What makes you any different?”

  “We are not like Clouse. He is what we call ‘Abschaum’,” Durr said.

  “Meaning?”

  “Scum.”

  “I see. So you just divide it up equally and we walk away, me included.”

  “Mr. Lang, we could have killed you at any time and taken the diary. We haven’t. Instead we had a talk with you. Doesn’t that seem somewhat more civilized than the way Clouse went about it?”

  Alan had to admit they were right. If they wanted him dead he would be dead. They could have taken the diary even that night if they had really wanted to. So what was holding him back from telling them about the coordinates?

  “Well Mr. Durr, all you have done is added another question to my list of things to ponder. Look, I’m going to take a chance. I am going to hand over my grandfather’s diary for you to study in detail. All I ask is that at some point I get it back. Maybe you can see something I missed. If you do, all the more power to you. If you think that is worth something, fine. If not, that’s fine too,” Alan said.

  Now it was Durr’s turn to look skeptical.

  “You will just give it to us. We determine what that’s worth.”

  “As long as I get it back.”

  Another silence followed. Durr was trying to figure out the angle. Why suddenly just give it to them?

  “Alright Mr. Lang. I’m sure Doctor Brandt will appreciate that immensely. You say you have read it over and over. Did anything stick out in your mind? I mean except for the last part?”

  “No, and that’s what is so darn frustrating. You don’t just suddenly do what he did. When you read it you will see how deeply motivated he was. Oh,” Alan suddenly said.

  “What?”

  “Oh my.”

  “What is it,” Durr said looking around quickly.

  “I just thought of something. I mean…well some of his language will offend you I am sure,” Alan told him.

  “Language? Ah, terms he used. Nazi, Kraut, Hun, a good Kraut is a dead Kraut,” that sort of thing.”

  “That’s just a few, but you get the idea.”

  “I am sure my grandfather had many strong words and described how he felt about Americans so I promise we won’t take offence.”

  “Okay but try to realize that was during the height of the war. Especially the Normandy and Ardennes battles. He was pretty ‘colorful’ as we say.”

  “I will keep that in mind. When would you like to hand it over?”

  “How about lunch tomorrow. You already know where we are and they have very good food here. So just come by around noon or so,” Alan said.

  “No sailing tomorrow?”

  “I don’t want to open that can of worms again?”

  “Can of worms?”

  “Sorry. An expression. It means letting the cat out of the bag.”

  Durr just looked at him.

  “Never mind.’

  “You Americans and your sayings,” Durr said.

  “We are indeed different. Goodnight Mr. Dunn.

  “Gute Nacht Herr Lang,” he said and slipped back into the night.

  Alan went back upstairs and took off his clothes and slid in next to Kate.

  “Umph, You’re cold,” she managed to get out.

  “I need you to warm me up,” Alan whispered in her ear.

  “You touch me and I will kill you,” she muttererd.

  “Where’s the love?”

  “One more word buster and you are in the other room.”

  “Goodnight Kate.”

  “Humph,” she said again.

  He
lay there for a while thinking about his conversation with Durr. Finally he drifted off to sleep.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  “Anything happen last night?” Brandt asked, putting copious amounts of jam on his bread.

  “Very interesting. I was watching the place and the next thing I know Lang comes down and checks out the car. I assume he was looking for a tracking device.”

  “See, that’s why we can’t use one.”

  “Yes but that’s not the interesting part,” Durr said, helping himself to a cup of Yogurt.

  “Don’t make me wait. What?” Brandt said, stopping in mid bite.

  “He wants to hand over the diary for us to look at. His words were ‘maybe you can find something I missed’, or close to it.”

  “He is just going to give it to us?”

  “That’s what he said. He said he was thinking about packing it in and going home since he doesn’t think he will ever figure out the part about his grandfather,” Durr told him.

  Brandt chewed on his bread and thought.

  “Do you believe him?” he asked at last.

  “I do. I think he feels that it has been too long and he doesn’t see any way of answering the questions he has,” Durr answered.

  “And you really think he want’s none of the money?”

  “He said that we could use the diary if we agreed to return it. If we felt it was worth of value and wanted to split some of the money with him, he was fine with that. If not, he was fine with that as well.”

  Brandt sat back in his chair and frowned. No one just said ‘no’ to money. Especially the kind they were talking about. Lang may want answers about his grandfather but saying no to gold and diamonds was ludicrous. Something wasn’t right but he still couldn’t put his finger on it.

  “Anything on Kluge?” he asked at last.

  “Nothing.”

  “He is out there. I know he is watching to see what happens before he takes any action. He always has a plan.”

  “I have passed the word that anyone who can take him out should do so without hesitation.”

  “Did Lang say where they went yesterday?” Brandt asked.

  “Just sailing. He said it was to get away and just forget about this whole thing for the day. From my talk with him, I believe him,” Durr said.

  Brandt looked shocked.

  “You are skeptical of everyone and you believe him?” Brandt said astonished.

  “What can I say? I’m getting old.”

  “Aren’t we all? If we don’t find it, then it may be lost forever and that would be a real shame.” Brandt said.

  “Maybe that was the way it was meant to be,” Durr.

  Brandt was shocked for the second time in less than a minute.

  **

  “I had an interesting night,” Alan told Kate when he got up.

  “Interesting? In what way?”

  “I went down to check out the car around 2:00 a.m. and while I was there who should come out from someplace behind me but Durr.”

  “What? Why? What was he doing there? For that matter why were you there?” Kate said shaking her head.

  “I couldn’t sleep so I went to check the car for a transponder. I was just sort of thinking things through and there he was.”

  “What did he want?” she asked.

  “Nothing really. We just talked about the whole thing. I told them they could have the diary as long as they returned it.”

  “Why in heaven's name would you do that?” she asked.

  “I’ve been thinking. Maybe they can find something I missed. I mean, holding on to it now doesn’t really help me much. I also figure they will see that as a sign I’m really not trying to hide something,” Alan told her.

  “Then why didn’t you just hand it over to Clouse?”

  “I don’t know exactly. Maybe it was because you were standing there naked. Maybe because I just didn’t like the way he went about it. Maybe I just didn’t like the bastard’s looks. Whatever it was, at that time I didn’t feel like giving it to him. Waving a gun in my face or at you doesn’t evoke the best response from me. As Durr said last night, Clouse is abschaum or something like that,” Alan said.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Scum.”

  “I see. So when does this take place?”

  “We are going to meet them at noon. They are coming here and I will hand it over. I told them the truth. I want the answers more than the money. If they feel what I gave them helped, they can cut me in, actually us in, or not.”

  “Us?”

  “Hey, you have been in this all the way. Anything I get, you will get half. I figure we are partners,” Alan said.

  “You would actually do that? You would give me half of whatever you got? Why? Yeah, we are partners but all I have done is tag along really. You figured out the coordinate thing. I just go where you take me,” she said.

  “Kate, Clouse was probably going to kill us both. That gives you rights to half of anything they throw my way,” Alan insisted.

  “Anyway, like you said. They may or may not give you a dime. You have no way of knowing what they will do if or when they find it. Talk is cheap,” Kate said.

  “Not from me.”

  “I didn’t mean you,” she replied.

  **

  Brandt was not happy. Lang and the woman were packing to leave and they had still not heard from Gégorie DuChett about the documents being real or forged.

  “I want you to send Finkel into town to see what is taking so long,” Brandt told Durr.

  “He said it would take a few days. He had a priority job to finish first.”

  “Yes I know that but it couldn’t take that long to look at a few pages and determine if they were fakes or not.”

  “Alright. I’ll send him but don’t be surprised if he just hasn’t had time to look at them yet,” Durr said.

  “It’s almost time to go to the restaurant. Send him as soon as we get the diary and have him take it along. It will give him more to work with. The sample we have isn’t much to compare,” Brandt told him.

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Nadel knows about the lunch?”

  “Yes. I told him first thing this morning.”

  “Does any of this latest development make you change your mind about Lang?” Brandt asked.

  “Like I said. If he knows something he is a world class actor. I’m not saying he doesn’t know anything but I fairly certain he can’t put it all together,” Durr told him.

  “Do you think he would really just go back to the States?”

  “I don’t know but I think the idea is starting to cross his mind that he is out of his league in the matter,” Durr replied.

  “I think maybe we all are,” Brandt replied.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Everyone arrived punctually at noon at the inn’s restaurant. Alan and Kate sat across from Brandt and Durr. Finkel and Nadel sat on the ends.

  “I understand you had a pleasant conversation with my associate last night.”

  “After my heart started beating again, yes.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I just didn’t know he was behind me in the dark and when he spoke I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest,” Alan explained.

  “Ah,” Brandt replied.

  Alan figure he had no idea what he was really talking about.

  “Anyway, to answer your question. Yes we did. Since you are here you obviously know I have decided to loan you the diary. Like I told Durr, if you can find something I overlooked more power to you. I’ve read it from front to back a dozen times and I sure can’t find anything that would help solve this mystery. Certainly nothing about a location with the exception of the towns he fought in,” Alan told him.

  “I certainly appreciate the gesture.”

  “Hopefully you will glean something from it.”

  “One can only hope. Mr. Durr also said you may return to the US.”

&nb
sp; “It is certainly a possibility. I would like to see Saint-Michel after all I’ve heard but after that I just don’t know. Kate and I haven’t really discussed it much. This has been stressful on her as well.”

  “I can certainly understand that. And what would you think is a fair payment for the use of the diary?” Brandt asked.

  “Like I told Mr. Durr. That would be totally up to you. I did tell Kate if you were in a generous mood I would give her half of my part. After all she has been through just as much as I have.”

  “And if we decide to keep it ourselves?”

  “You do. After all, there isn’t much I can really do about it is there?” Alan replied.

  The waiter came and they ordered. Alan decided not to order wine with his meal, he noticed Brandt didn’t either. No slipups from alcohol were going to take place at this table Alan decided.

  “How would you like the diary returned? Sent to you in the states?”

  “I have written my sister's address on a slip of paper and tucked it into the front of the diary. You can send it to her. I’m not sure what I am really doing when I get home.”

  “And you Ms. Gerber?” Brandt asked.

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t even discussed any of this with Alan. I think at this point anything I say may be a bit premature.”

  “I see. But you do intend to continue sightseeing with Mr. Lang.”

  “Of course. Nothing has changes in that regards. Why should it?”

  “I sorry. I wasn’t implying it should. Just asking.”

  “Fine. I will continue with Alan until we decide what the next step in our relationship should be.”

  “I see. May I?” Brandt said, indicating the diary.

  “Certainly.”

  Alan took it out of his pocket and placed it on the table in front of Brandt.

  “Please. I would very much like to have it back,” Alan reminded him once more.

  “I give you my word. You will receive it in the same condition I am obtaining it,” Brandt assured him.

  “Thank you,” Alan said.

  They finished the meal and Alan excused himself and Kate. They were leaving for Saint-Michel and wanted to make it before it got dark.

  “Have a safe trip. I hope you enjoy your visit to Saint-Michel. Everyone is amazed at it once they see it,” Brandt said as they departed.