Hidden In Plain Sight.
Chapter Thirteen.
After Freddy had handed his and Raif's bags over to Abbott to deal with, he joined the others in the drawing room, clutching a piece of paper raised above his head.
"You remind me of pictures I've seen of Neville Chamberlain returning from Berlin waving a document in the air and grinning." chuckled Harry.
"Ah, but who's to say this is'nt worth the paper it's written on!" retorted Freddy, smiling. "It's a signed and witnessed statement by Heidrich Kimmel, confirming he took Kurt Scheel under his wing in Sao Paulo and introduced him into ODESSA who organised a totally new identity for him in the autumn of 1945."
"How come this Kimmel guy was willin' to spill?" asked Dempsey.
"After a few years of incarceration, Kimmel came to his senses and turned to God." replied Freddy, lifting the chilled bottle of Krug from its ice bucket and beginning to untwist the wire from around the cork. "He became a born again Christian, denounced his past and vowed to live the rest of his life as a disciple of our Lord."
Dempsey snorted in derision.
"It's true James." said Freddy, quietly popping the champagne cork and carefully pouring out four flutes. "Most people reacted as you just have, suspecting Kimmel was just attempting to pull the wool over everyone's eyes in the hope of redemption and early release. When nothing changed, the authorities fully expected him to revert to type, but he didn't. He had genuinely repented."
"When was all this Daddy?" asked Harry, intrigued.
"1961 darling." replied Freddy, handing her some champagne. "Over 30 years ago and he's remained the same ever since."
"An' the life sentence handed down ta him meant jus' that - life!" remarked Dempsey, taking a glass from Freddy.
"Yes, until his health failed." replied Freddy. "He will see his days out in that nursing home and will die of pancreatic cancer. The doctors give him two years at the most. But although I truly believe his statement is true, I do wonder whether it would stand up to scrutiny in a court of law."
"Oh why?" asked Harry, a little puzzled.
"Because it's a stand alone confession, Harry." replied Freddy. "It's not corroborated at all. Personally, I'm sure it is true. Kimmel is a changed man."
"That's all well and good Freddy, but what role did he play in the war?" asked Dempsey. "For all we know he was jus' as bad as Scheel."
"Maybe." replied Freddy. "But I'm afraid we'll have to swallow that one if we want to use him to get to Steele."
Sitting on the arm of the large sofa, Raif had remained quiet throughout Freddy's explanation and description of events in Berlin and continued to sip his champagne in silence. Harry glanced at him.
"You're very quiet Raif." she said. "Anything the matter?"
He looked up at her and then to Freddy and Dempsey, his eyes full of tears.
"I...I feel a little overwhelmed right now." he muttered. "It's been a very long time searching for the whereabouts of that vicious monster Scheel and memories of Helen are more vivid in my memory than ever before now I am so close to seeing him brought to justice. Ignore me, I'll be fine."
Harry went over to him and took his hand in hers.
"We understand Raif." she said, softly.
"It's been as if a black cloud has been following me for fifty years." said Raif. "I've felt it hovering there above me but unable to grab and destroy it. Now it's within my grasp and I'm shaking with ang..."
"Yeah well." butted in Dempsey. "As much as I'd like ta give ya five minutes alone with the bum, it ain't gonna happen Raif."
"No! More's the bloody pity!" he scowled, steadying his hand as he raised the champagne glass to his lips and drank the contents in one gulp. Although he'd been teetotal for many years, as he had aged he'd mellowed to the taste of fine wines, champagne and the odd dram of whisky. But only in small measures. Freddy refilled his glass quickly , nevertheless.
"So, what now? We have enough to arrest him, don't we, Chief Inspector?" asked Harry, letting go of Raif's hand and slipping her arm through Dempsey's.
"I guess we've got enough to haul his ass in for questionin'." replied Dempsey. "But I ain't sure we got enough for a conviction."
"Why not Dempsey?" asked Harry. "We've got a signed statement proving he was a Gestapo officer who changed his identity in order to escape capture. Records will show there was an Oberst-Gruppenfuhrer-SS Kurt Scheel, who, had he not been found dead, would have been tried and probably executed for his crimes had he been caught."
"Is it proof?" asked Dempsey. "Sure, it's a signed statement, but who's ta say Kimmel ain't got a grudge an' made the whole thing up? So far as the law is concerned, Kurt Scheel died in Paris, 1945. Only he knows the identity of the guy he murdered to assume his identity and those papers were destroyed in Sao Paulo when ODESSA got a hold of 'em. Now, he's got British citizenship and has all the relevant documentation to back it up."
"Not exactly, James." said Freddy. "His history is only supported from late in 1947 when he entered Britain. The document I've come back with throws doubt upon who he was before then and shines a spotlight on it. And despite my reservations about the authenticity of Kimmel's statement being brought into question, I still think he'd be believed."
"Sorry to rain on ya parade, Freddy, but I ain't so sure." replied Dempsey, sullenly.
"Would Kimmel be able, or even allowed, to make the trip over here, Daddy?" asked Harry.
"I can talk to the right people, Harry." replied Freddy. " I still have some pretty powerful contacts."
"Okay, okay, so let's see what we got here." said Dempsey. "First we have the signed doc you just came back with Freddy, an' Kimmels testimony if needed. Second, we got the first ransom note from Theresa Creighton, pieced back together, which Steele had ripped up and threw in his office bin. Third, we have the second ransom note that Steele put together and which Josh rescued. We have ta hope that third one has Steele's DNA or fingerprints on it, proving it wasn't Theresa who was responsible for it. An', last but not least, we have her in custody for kidnappin' Steele's grandaughter as revenge for the torture and murder of her brudder, when Kurt Scheel had him prisoner. I guess that's enough to at least bring him in for a grillin'."
"Don't forget Georgina, Dempsey." reminded Harry. "Christopher Steele threatened her with her life if she didn't play the dutiful, pliant wife to his son, Arthur."
"You think she'd go up against him, honey?" asked Dempsey.
"Not in the beginning, no I don't." replied Harry. "But if it looked as though he was going to be indicted for war crimes, I think she could be a reserve witness, even if it's just to endorse his murderous, evil mind."
She glanced at her father, who was now looking very pensive, his earlier elation at his and Raif's successful trip to Berlin, beginning to evaporate.
"Daddy? What's wrong?" she asked. Freddy looked sadly at both her and Dempsey.
"James is right and I'm afraid you'll have to think very carefully about this, you two." he cautioned. "If you bring Steele in he'll have the best legal team behind him money can buy. Unless you have concrete, irrefutable proof he's an ex Gestapo officer responsible for the torture and murder of countless allied prisoners, he will simply be instructed to remain silent."
"The Colonel's correct." said Raif, suddenly. "What you have is refutable. Herr Kimmel's evidence isn't strong enough because there's nothing to corroborate his statement. He's a frail old man, ex-Gestapo, dying of cancer and Scheel's legal eagles could take him apart if he testified against him. It's been fifty years, memories dull, details become sketchy. It would simply be his word against Scheel's. And since it's more than likely he was equally as nasty as Scheel, they'd soon expose him. His supposed redeemed character would be blown apart. As for Theresa, she could also be made out to be mistaken in thinking Christopher Steele was Kurt Scheel. Her character would be shredded given that she kidnapped a defenceless little girl and kept her captive for days. Scheel's team would destroy her. And the ransom notes would become irrelevant in the main scheme of things."
Silence descended on the room as everyone realised their celebratory champagne could have been somewhat premature.
"So, it's back to square one." sighed Harry, eventually.
"Yeah, 'fraid so, princess. We have ta find another escapin' Nazi yo-yo, who was aroun' at the same time as Kimmel and Scheel in Brazil." said Dempsey, adding sardonically. "An' even if we do, there's no tellin' he'll have found God an' is willin' to squeal on 'em!"
"Simon might be able to help us there." said Freddy, ignoring Dempsey's sarcasm. "And if he draws a blank then I'll have to pull in some favours. There will be records in Berlin of Nazi personnel who have been gaoled. It's just going to take someone to trawl through them to find if any are still living and, if so, whether they could identify that Christopher Steele and Kurt Scheel are one of the same."
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At the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, Paul Lewis was feeling down and depressed. Nurse Jenny Sanders had just come on duty and noted his hangdog expression.
"Oooh dear you're looking happy - not!" she said as she reached his bedside. "What's up?"
"Six weeks before my broken fingers are healed. Six months for my fingernails to grow back? How would you bloody feel!?"
"The realisation's just hitting home, isn't it." replied Jenny, trying to think of something to take his mind off his injuries and cheer him up. "Hey look, why don't you call your girlfriend? I mean, I know she's a married woman and all that, but didn't you tell me her marriage was on the rocks?"
"Yes it is. But what's the good of resurrecting everything!?" retorted Paul. "She hasn't been near me since I got here. That's a sure sign she's backed right off, isn't it?"
"Well, maybe she's a bit frightened?" suggested Jenny. "You don't actually know whether she's hoping and praying you'll get in touch. If her family were behind your attack, it's understandable she'd be reluctant to make contact. If you think about it, you've nothing to lose by trying to rekindle your relationship, have you."
"The last thing I want to do is put her in danger, Jenny." replied Paul. "Getting in touch with her again would be high risk."
"But by the same token, the last thing anyone would suspect would be you two back in touch with each other. Won't they be thinking you'd been scared off for good?"
Paul stared at her, her argument beginning to take root.
"Okay, fetch me a phone, can you?"
"I can, but didn't you say the best time to talk to her was around mid-morning when she's likely to be alone?" asked Jenny. "You've just said you don't want to put her in any danger, yet here you are intending to call at a time her husband could be around."
"I know what I'm doing." replied Paul. "Now - the phone?"
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In the Steele mansion, Georgina was in the kitchen. Hilda was sleeping and she'd just left Arthur dozing in bed after he'd coerced her into giving him sex, then demanded she make him something to eat and drink.
As she busied herself with her task, her mobile phone began to vibrate on the central island worktop.
She answered it quickly, noting the call was from a withheld number.
"Hello?"
"Georgina? Hang up immediately if you're not alone."
She recognised his voice in an instant.
"Paul! Goodness, Paul, why are you ringing me at this time!?" she whispered frantically. "Arthur could've been right beside me!"
"Sorry darling, I lose track of time." lied Paul." But you must be alone, you haven't hung up."
"As it happens I am on my own right now, but more by luck than judgement." she said softly. "Paul, what do you want?"
"Well that's nice I must say!" he retorted. "I get tortured then beaten within an inch of my life and all because I'm in a relationship with you!"
"Oh Paul, I'm sorry. Forgive me, but you've taken me by surprise." gasped Georgina.
"Listen, I want to see you." said Paul. "When can you get away?"
"I don't know." she answered. "I want to see you too, but I'm caring for Hilda at present. She was kidnapped and held hostage for several days. She's traumatised and frightened still. There's no way I can leave her. Not for quite a while."
"Oh my God, why, I mean, who kidnapped her?" asked Paul.
"I can't explain in detail now, but I will tell you it had everything to do with my father-in-law." replied Georgina. "And he was behind your torture, your beating and the wrecking of your cars. Paul, he's evil. If he found out you were trying to see me again, he'd kill you this time - and I'd be next!"
"Okay, okay, I get the message loud and clear, Georgina." said Paul finally. "But we will see each other again. That's a promise!"
The line went dead before she could answer. She laid the mobile back on the worktop, her heart beating fast as it suddenly dawned on her she may have inadvertently set Paul after Christopher. After all, she knew he had underworld connections, powerful ones, so who's to say that now he knew for definite who it was that had inflicted such pain and misery on him, he wasn't going to take his revenge.
A cold calm settled over her and she began quietly humming to the tune playing quietly in the background on the radio. "Don't Worry, Be Happy."