The Sandler Inquiry Part 38

They shook hands. Thomas was still cautious.

"From Switzerland to London? Or from the airport to here?"

"No matter. Either." Whiteside sat in the armchair and studied the younger man. He sat with his legs crossed and both hands on the top knee.

"Was that your gorilla who picked me up?" asked Thomas.

"That's not very kind of you at all," said Whiteside, 'attributing b.e.s.t.i.a.l characteristics to my a.s.sociate, Mr. Hunter."

"Why am I here?" Thomas asked.

"Because you wanted to be," laughed Whiteside.

"Good G.o.d, man, you were in Devon a few days ago asking leading questions, badgering the hall of records and trying to scare up the dead. Now don't tell me you don't want to be here where you can ask questions about Arthur Sandler and Leslie McAdam."

"Then let's begin," said Thomas.

"I don't like being held prisoner."

"You're not."

"I'm not under arrest?"

"You're free to leave at any time," said Whiteside.

"There's the door. I'll escort you to the street if you prefer."

Thomas studied the door and wondered if he sensed a trick.

"However," said Whiteside, "you'll find it rewarding to stay. We can have a most interesting conversation."

"All right," said Thomas. He settled back on the sofa.

"Intriguing," said Whiteside absently.

"How something like this crops up after twenty-some years."

"Excuse me?"

Whiteside's gaze shot back to Thomas.

"I'm retired, Mt. Daniels,"

he said.

"As far as the Foreign Office is concerned, I don't even exist anymore.

But this Sandler-McAdam problem was in my lap back in 1954. Nasty problem, really, though I don't expect that you know the half of it yet. My 'section,' shall we call it, was within M.I. Six and linked with the Chancellery of the Exchecquer. Or Treasury, as you'd term it."

"Money, in any language "Currency if you like," said Whiteside.

"That's how I became involved with Arthur Sandler."

"Currency manipulations again?"

Whiteside smiled.

"You are a barrister, aren't you? The incisive question quickly and succinctly. No matter. You'll have a few of your answers presently."

The smile disappeared.

"The trouble is, sir, for you, there will be other questions. Maybe you'll help us with those ' Thomas opened his hands to indicate that he had no idea of what Whiteside was speaking.

"Ah, yes' Whiteside continued, 'you're owed a few explanations.

Shall we start with Arthur Sandler?"

"I'd love to."

"You know him as an industrialist and a financier, I would think" said Whiteside.

"And with a bit of chemistry added in. Correct?"

"Reasonably correct " "Ah, yes. Some of the espionage nonsense, too.

You know about that' ' Thomas nodded.

"What you don't know about is Sandler's greatest singular skill.

The nice word for it is engraving."

"Engraving?"

"And the not-so-nice word for it is forgery. Or counterfeiting, if you prefer."

Thomas offered no reply. He merely sat there in puzzlement until Whiteside spoke again. He studied the intense acerbic man in front of him, a man with a Latin teacher's face and voice combined with the crisp a.s.surance of a major in infantry.

"Daniels, either you're an actor of inordinate skills or you know nothing about this. In either event, I a.s.sume you would like to hear more' "I ' would."

"Have you ever heard of Operation Bernhard?"

The two shrewd eyes watched Thomas as he thought. Thomas shook his head.

"What about Sachsenhausen? Name mean anything?"

Thomas shrugged.

"How innocent the young are" commented Whiteside sardonically.

"What about Helmut Andorpher? Or Heinrich Kinder?"

ill "Nothing," said Thomas.