“Sympathetic enough to put the bite on you.”
Eisler looked at him, puzzled.
“You gave him money, didn’t you? What was that for, old times’ sake?”
“Oh, I see. You think he threatened to expose me? No, no, it was not like that. Karl was an opportunist, but not a traitor. If he had really thought I was still-active, nothing would have stopped him. Certainly not a little money.”
“But you gave him money. Not a little. And he kept your secret. And it wasn’t blackmail.”
Eisler waved his hand. “You insist on this term. It’s not precise. What do you think he said to me? Thirty pieces of silver for my silence? This is a fantasy, Mr. Connolly. Be precise.”
“Well, why did you give it to him? Six hundred dollars, wasn’t it?”
Eisler looked up, pleased. “Very good. A little more, but that is close. How did you know?”
“What did he say it was for?” Connolly said, ignoring his question.
“He appealed to me. He had the chance to buy members of his family out. There are such cases, you know. How much for a life? And he had very little.”
“His family’s dead.”
“Yes, of course. It was much too late for such arrangements. That was all in the past, when they were letting people out. But that is what he said. I did not contradict. I knew it was-an opportunity for him.”
“Did he know you thought that?”
Eisler shrugged. “I can’t say. I didn’t question him. I was generous. Perhaps he felt our past was a bond between us, that he could approach me this way. Perhaps he enjoyed seeing how far he could go. A game. He could trust me not to say anything. It was very strange. I think, you know, he felt I was the only person he could trust.”
“Maybe the first time,” Connolly said, picking up the story. “But after-it was too easy. He asked for more money and you gave it to him. And then again. Why? He’d be suspicious. So he started following you-where you went. Especially off the Hill. He liked driving around. Were you aware that he was tailing you?”
“No.”
“So you never saw him at any of your meetings?”
“There was only one other. He wasn’t there.”
“How did you set them up?”
“The first had been arranged before I came. The second you know. I already had the date; I would be contacted about the place. The book arrived and I knew.”
“And this time Karl was there.”
“Yes.”
“And he saw that you were passing information. There were papers?”
“Yes.”
“But he was suspicious before that. He followed you down. You probably didn’t see him that time either-he’d be a good tail-but I imagine you drove around Santa Fe for a while, just to be sure. Standard procedure for meetings. Then out to San Isidro. But you wouldn’t want to stop there until your man was already in place, you wouldn’t want to risk being seen waiting in the alley. So you drove past, and then again, until the car was there, and by that time Karl knew something was going on. How many times did you go around?”
“Is that important?” Eisler said. “A few. It was as you say. You seem to know everything.”
“Except who you were meeting.”
“I don’t know the name. I couldn’t help you even if I wanted to.”
“And you don’t want to.”
“No. But it’s useless to pursue this. I do not know.”
“What if you couldn’t make it or had to postpone the meeting? How could you contact him?”
“I couldn’t. Another meeting would be arranged.”
“How?”
“That I don’t know either. That was not my affair. But it’s of no importance. I was there. And Karl-Karl was there too. Foolish, foolish boy,” he said, shaking his head. “It was impossible. We could not allow—” He stopped. “So. He was there. And now I am here. I think I’m a little tired now, if you don’t mind. Is there anything else you want to know?”
“Who killed him.”
Eisler looked up. “I killed him, Mr. Connolly.”
“No, you didn’t.”
Eisler looked at him quizzically.
“It’s a popular murder,” Connolly said. “Everybody wants to confess to it. We’ve got one guy in prison, and I don’t believe him either. You bashed Karl’s head in, then dumped him in the park and drove on home? I don’t think so.”
“You do not have any choice in the matter.”
“I still want to know. Karl was killed in that alley all right. We have the blood samples to prove it. And you were there-I don’t doubt it for a minute. You might even say it was all your fault. You’re so eager for blame, fine, take some. But you never killed him. Your contact did that. Right there. Were you shocked? All that blood. What did it sound like when his skull cracked? That’s not in your line at all. You must have had a disillusioning experience yourself. Which is why you’re here. What I don’t know is why you still want to protect him.”
Eisler bowed his head, staring at his hands. “We were alone, Karl and I,” he said quietly. “The other was only a messenger-already gone.”
“No. He was there. Did you help clean up and shove Karl in the car, or did you just leave right away? That must have been some trip back. Lots of time to think.” He paused. “I know he’s here.”
“Here?” Eisler said, looking up, confused.
“What did you do with the car?”
“The car?” he said, thrown by the question.
“Karl’s car. You didn’t leave it there.”
“No, no. On the streets,” he said, improvising. “Not far. Perhaps it was stolen.”
“No. We found it. It’s in a canyon, just down the road from the west gate.”
Eisler fumbled, his hands nervously picking at his trousers. “I don’t understand.”
“Somebody drove it there. Your friend. You didn’t know? You had to hightail it back here, get away from San Isidro as soon as possible. The usual way, I would guess, through the east gate. It’s closer. Shall we go back to the map? Your friend has to dump the body. He was seen, it turns out. Just him, one man, not you, so I figure he was on his own. You were probably safe and sound back home by then. No risks, just in case. Then he drove Karl’s car up the back way and stashed it close enough so he could walk in. Unless you waited around to give him a lift, but I don’t think so. Why chance it? But you see what this means. You see why I can’t let it go? He’s here.”
“I’m tired,” Eisler said again. “It’s enough.”
“Who was it?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s not possible.”
Eisler sighed wearily. “It is possible, Mr. Connolly. It’s necessary. Surely you see that. To us it’s just a contact, not a person. We aren’t supposed to know. In case-well, of something like this.”
“An interrogation, you mean.”
“Yes. If you are forced. I could not tell you even if you tortured me.”
“We don’t go in for pliers here. That’s your people,” Connolly said.
Eisler looked away. “Please go now. It’s not enough for you, all this? You have your answers. I compromised the project, yes-it’s done. And Karl, that too. You don’t believe in my guilt? It was enough for God. He has already punished me.”
“You were the one playing God. I was there, remember? That’s suicide, not punishment.”
“So,” he said quietly, “you know that too. Maybe I was just helping him.”
“The way you helped the Russians.”
“If you like. I make no apologies. It’s done now.”
Connolly stood up to go. “No apologies. You want to be guilty for everything? That’s just playing God again.
