Chapter 31---Gestapo Investigation
Major Wolfgang Hochstetter stepped out of his staff car after Schultz opened the back passenger door. He saluted the Major who quickly saluted him and marched up the stairs of the Kommandantur, his long black coat flapping in the breeze. He had three guards with him.
They stormed past Hilda sitting at her desk and barged into Colonel Klink's office where they found Klink seated behind his desk, looking up, startled, and General Burkhalter seated calmly in a chair against the wall near the door. Hochstetter saluted the General and with a low growl, saluted Klink who stood up and nervously saluted the Gestapo officer.
"How nice it is to see you, Major Hochstetter," Klink stammered.
Hochstetter glared at the Kommandant. "Unfortunately, Klink, I cannot say the same about you." He turned to Burkhalter. "Herr General, it is always a pleasure to see you. Now, what can you tell me about the death of General Metzger?"
"Klink and I found his body in the guest quarters. It appears he struck his head on something and then his neck was broken."
"I see. Has the body been moved or anything touched?" Hochstetter asked Burkhalter.
"We left everything as we found it, Major Hochstetter," Klink chimed in.
Hochstetter growled. "I wasn't asking you, Klink. I was asking the General."
"Sorry, Major," Klink replied nervously. "I was just trying to help." He sat down and seemed to shrivel before Hochstetter's stare.
"Nothing has been touched and the body is still where we found it. All we did was cover the body and post a guard outside the bedroom and another outside the guest quarters itself," Burkhalter replied.
"Excellent. Then let us go to the guest quarters. I want to examine the scene of the crime." Hochstetter started to open the door, but suddenly stopped. He looked at the Kommandant. "Klink, before we leave, I have just one question. Where was Colonel Hogan at the time?"
Klink shuddered hearing Hogan's name mentioned. He was sure Hochstetter was going to try to pin Metzger's death on Hogan. He couldn't let that happen, no matter how much of a motive Hogan might have. "Colonel Hogan was in his barracks at the time. The General and I both saw him there."
"Bah!" Hochstetter sneered. "You I don't believe, Klink."
"And what about me, Major?" asked Burkhalter with a smug grin.
"You, of course, Herr General, I do not question. If you say you saw Colonel Hogan in the barracks then I believe you. What I am saying is that you have no idea if he was there before you got there yourself. After I am finished in the guest quarters, I will go to barracks two and question Colonel Hogan."
Hogan pulled the plug out of the coffee pot as Kinch, Carter, Newkirk and LeBeau looked at him.
"Sounds like Hochstetter's gonna try and prove you killed Metzger, Colonel," Kinch said. "And if he does, you'll never leave this camp alive."
Hogan was about to respond but was interrupted by Newkirk. "But don't you worry none, Gov'nor. We won't let Hochstetter arrest you. We'll even get you out of Germany if need be."
"Newkirk's right, sir," Carter added. "We won't let the Gestapo arrest you."
"They're right, Colonel," Kinch added. "We'll do whatever we have to in order to protect you."
Hogan wrapped his arms around himself. "I appreciate your concern, but I have something to tell all of you."
"What's that, sir?" asked Newkirk, suddenly worried.
"I didn't kill Metzger." Hogan walked away from the men and sat down on his bunk letting his words sink in. With the exception of LeBeau who he'd already told, he noticed the other men exchanging looks.
"Wait a minute, Colonel," Kinch commented. "You're telling us you didn't kill General Metzger?"
"He was already dead when I sneaked into his quarters last night. In fact, I nearly got caught in there by Klink and Burkhalter."
"What do you mean?' asked Kinch.
Hogan sighed. "What I mean is I developed breathing problems after I found the body. I heard voices and footsteps outside the door so I hid under the bed just before Klink and Burkhalter walked in. It appears Metzger died from a broken neck. Also, it looks like someone either pushed or struck him. There was a deep gash in the middle of his forehead. Soon as they left I got out of there and ran all the way back here."
"It's no wonder you were having so much trouble breathing when you got back here," Kinch said.
"Colonel, if you didn't kill Metzger," Newkirk began. "Then who did?"
Hogan let out a deep breath as he slowly got to his feet. "I suspect somebody in camp killed him, Newkirk. Maybe even somebody in this barracks." Hogan glanced at each man and noticed Carter and LeBeau both pale slightly. However, the Colonel didn't say anything and acted as if he didn't notice anything.
Hochstetter led the way to barracks two with Burkhalter, Klink, and the three Gestapo guards behind him. Hochstetter had a smug grin on his face. With what he had discovered after examining Metzger's body and the guest quarters, and then making a visit to the infirmary to see Sergeant Baker, he suspected he would not only be able to arrest Hogan for murder and have it stick this time, but while he was in custody, he would get him to admit to being Papa Bear. Difference this time is that there would be no escape for Hogan. Hochstetter could hardly contain himself knowing he finally had Hogan.
The Major pushed open the door and stormed inside the barracks. Looking around he noticed Hogan and his men seated at the table drinking coffee. Hogan looked around at Hochstetter. "Something we can do for you, Major? Or did you just miss me and thought you'd stop by for a visit?"
Hochstetter, standing beside the American, smirked. "At last I have you, Colonel Hogan. And this time there will be no escape for you."
Hogan looked at his men and then at the Major. "What am I being accused of this time?" he asked innocently.
"I am charging you with the murder of Luftwaffe General Wolfgang Metzger."
Hogan raised both eyebrows in mock surprise. "I may be a lot of things, Major, but I'm not a murderer. I'm afraid you're barking up the wrong tree as usual."
"We already told you, Major," Burkhalter said. He knew the Gestapo Major was fixated on Hogan. "It was verified by the camp medic that Colonel Hogan's breathing difficulties would make it impossible for him to have an altercation with anyone. He nearly collapsed in front of us that night because he couldn't breathe."
"Bah!" Hochstetter replied with a sneer. "Apparently a trick on his part to worm his way out of a murder charge. But there is a way to settle this," Hochstetter said with a twisted grin. "Fresh blood was found beneath three of General's Metzger's fingernails on each hand indicating that he fought for his life and scratched whoever killed him."
"That's very interesting, Major. But what has that got to do with me?"
"Colonel Hogan, I want you to stand up, remove your jacket and shirt, and hold out both arms."
Hogan found himself chuckling. He glanced at the Gestapo officer. "Major, if you think…."
Hochstetter got right in Hogan's face. "You will stand up, remove your jacket and shirt, and hold out both arms, or I will order my guards to do it for you. It's your choice, Hogan."
Sighing, Hogan got to his feet. "Fine," he said. "But can we do this in my quarters instead?"
"You will do it right here." Hochstetter rested his hand on the handle of his pistol.
Hogan noticed Klink and Burkhalter watching and could tell by their expressions he would get no help from either of them. Shaking his head, Hogan unzipped his bomber jacket and took it off, tossing it on the bench. "I'm doing this under protest, Major, and I'm sure this is against the Geneva Convention and I plan to file a protest." He unbuttoned his shirtsleeves and then his shirt. He shrugged himself out of the shirt and dropped it on top of his jacket. With a sigh, he held out his arms. Hochstetter slowly walked around Hogan examining every inch of the American officer. Then, grabbing each of Hogan's arms separately, he ran his hands up and down roughly, hoping to discover fake skin or something to show scratches were being covered up. He found nothing.
The other prisoners looked on quietly at the humiliation their commanding officer was being forced to endure. Hogan only smirked.
"Can I get dressed now, Major?" he asked innocently. "It's kinda chilly in here."
Hochstetter was seething. He was positive he would find scratches on Hogan's arms or at least an indication the scratches made by Metzger were being concealed. He then gripped Hogan's chin and moved his head from side to side, examining the marks on Hogan's throat and chin. He could tell both were old which didn't really prove anything. He had been told about Metzger choking Hogan in Klink's office and the nearly completely healed cut on his chin didn't prove anything either as it too, was old. Then, he noticed the cut on Hogan's cheek, and it was fresh.
"Ah ha!" Hochstetter smirked. (1) "Was ist dieses? Looks like a cut. How do you explain this, Colonel Hogan?"
"Major…" Klink had seen enough. It was bad enough Hochstetter was trying to pin Metzger's death on Hogan, and then to humiliate him by having him strip from the waist up in front of his men. But now he was trying to claim the superficial cut on Hogan's cheek accounted for the blood under Metzger's fingernails. "You can't possibly believe that that small cut on Colonel Hogan's cheek accounts for all the blood under the General's fingernails? I told you that cut on Colonel Hogan's cheek was present in the cooler. I saw it myself. Sergeant Wilson, our camp medical officer, treated it at the time."
Hochstetter fumed, releasing Hogan's chin. "You can get dressed, Hogan," he grumbled. Then, he looked around the barracks. "All the rest of these prisoners will strip to the waist and their bodies checked for scratches. Anybody who refuses will be shot!"
"Major," Hogan remarked as he buttoned his shirt. "What do you expect to find? This is against the Geneva Convention. Give it up." Actually, Hogan was hoping Hochstetter would change his mind because he was concerned about LeBeau and Carter. If one of them had scratches on his arms and Hochstetter saw them, he didn't know what he'd be able to do.
The other men in the barracks slowly removed their jackets and/or shirts and stood before everybody naked from the waist up; everyone except Carter who seemed to hesitate. His hesitation didn't escape Hochstetter's eyes or Hogan's, but for different reasons. The guards examined every man in the barracks and found nothing on any of them.
"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, Sergeant," Hochstetter got right up in Carter's face. "I ordered everyone in this barracks to strip to the waist. Why are you hesitating? You have something to hide perhaps?"
Carter stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and looked at the floor.
"Leave him alone, Major," Hogan ordered, hoping to protect Carter, who, by his actions, appeared to be guilty. "Carter's a bit shy. He won't even undress in front of us."
Hochstetter removed his pistol from its holster. "He's got one minute to get over his shyness."
Hogan looked nervously at Carter who glanced at his commanding officer, his eyes seemingly pleading for him to do something. Hogan's mind raced to come up with something, but without success.
The Major aimed his weapon at Carter's head. "Your minute is nearly up, Sergeant Carter." Everybody heard the cocking of the weapon.
Hogan and Carter's eyes met again and an unspoken message passed between them indicating that Hogan would find some way to save him.
Hochstetter looked at his watch. "Time's up, Sergeant," he said with an evil grin.
"All right,' said Carter dejectedly. "I'll do it, but I won't like it." He began removing his leather jacket.
(1) "Was ist dieses?" means "What is this?"