«Precisely,» said Saint-Clair, trying to recoup, «the Minister is right They would be crazy to go ahead now. They'll simply call the man off.»
“He isn't exactly blown,» said Lebel quietly. They had almost forgotten he was there. «We still don't know the man's name. The forewarning might simply cause him to take extra contingency precautions. False papers, physical disguises…»
The optimism to which the Minister's remark had given birth fund the table vanished. Roger Frey eyed the little Commissaire with respect.
«I think we had better have Commissaire Lebel's report, gentlemen. After all, he is heading this enquiry. We are here to assist him where we can.»
Thus prompted, Lebel outlined the measures he had taken since the previous evening; the growing belief, supported by the check, through the French files, that the foreigner could only be on the files of some foreign police force, if at all. The request to make enquiries abroad; request granted. The series of person-to-person phone calls via Interpol to police chiefs of seven major countries.
«The replies came in during the course of today,» he concluded. «Here they are: Holland, nothing. Italy, several known contract-hire killers, but all in the employ of the Mafia. Discreet enquiries between the Carabinieri and the Capo of Rome elicited a pledge that no Mafia killer would ever do a political killing except on orders, and the Mafia would not subscribe to killing a foreign statesman.»
Lebel looked up. «Personally, I am inclined to believe that is probably true.
Britain. Nothing, but routine enquiries have been passed to another department, the Special Branch, for further checking.»
«Slow as always,» muttered Saint-Clair under his breath. Lebel caught the remark and looked up again.
But very thorough, our English friends. Do not underestimate Scotland Yard.»
He resumed reading.
«America. Two possibles. One the right-hand man of a big international arms dealer based in Miami, Florida. This man was formerly a US Marine, later a CIA man in the Caribbean. Fired for killing a Cuban anti-Castroist in a fight just before the Bay of Pigs affair. The Cuban was to have commanded a section of that operation. The American then was taken on by the arms dealer, one of the men the CIA had unofficially used to supply arms to the Bay of Pigs invading force. Believed to have been responsible for two unexplained accidents that happened later to rivals of his employer in the arms business. Arms dealing, it seems, is a very cut-throat business. The man's name is Charles 'Chuck' Arnold. The FBI is now checking for his whereabouts.
«The second man suggested by FBI as a possible. Marco Vitellino, formerly personal bodyguard to a New York gangland boss, Albert Anastasia. This Capo was shot to death in a barber's chair in October 'S7 and Vitellino fled America in fear of his own life. Settled in Caracas, Venezuela. Tried to go into the rackets there on his own account, but with little success. He was frozen out by the local underworld. FBI think that if he was completely broke he might be in the market for a contract killing job for a foreign organisation, if the price were right.»
There was complete silence in the room. The fourteen other men listened without a murmur.
«Belgium. One possibility. Psychopathic homicide, formerly on the staff of Tschombe in Katanga. Expelled by United Nations when captured in 1962. Unable to return to Belgium because of pending charges on two counts of murder. A hired gun, but a clever one. Name of Jules Berenger. Believed also emigrated to Central America. Belgian police are still checking on his possible present whereabouts.
«Germany. One suggestion. Hans-Dieter Kassel, former SSMajor, wanted by two countries for war crimes. Lived after the war in West Germany under an assumed name, and was a contract-killer for ODESSA, the ex-SS members' underground organisation. Suspected of being implicated in the killing of two left-wing Socialists in post-war politics who were urging a government-sponsored intensification of enquiries into war crimes. Later unmasked as Kassel, but skipped to Spain after a tip-off for which a senior police official lost his job. Believed now living in retirement in Madrid…
Lebel looked up again. «Incidentally, this man's age seems to be a bit advanced for this sort of job. He is now fifty-seven'
«Lastly, South Africa. One possible. Professional mercenary. Name: Piet Schuyper. Also one of Tschombe's top gunmen. Nothing officially against him in South Africa, but he's considered undesirable. A crackshot, and a definite penchant for individual killing. Last heard of when expelled from the Congo on the collapse of the Katangese secession early this year. Believed to be still in West Africa somewhere. The South African Special Branch is checking further.»
He stopped and looked up. The fourteen men round the table were looking back at him without expression.
«Of course,» said Lebel deprecatingly, «it's very vague, I'm afraid. For one thing I only tried the seven most likely countries. The jackal could be a Swiss, or Austrian, or something else. Then three countries out of seven replied that they have no suggestion to make. They could be wrong. The jackal could be an Italian, or Dutchman or English. Or he could be South African, Belgian, German or American, but not among those listed. One doesn't know. One is feeling in the dark, hoping for a break.»
«Mere hoping isn't going to get us far,» snapped Saint-Clair.
«Perhaps the Colonel has a fresh suggestion?» enquired Lebel politely.
«Personally, I feel the man has certainly been warned off,» said Saint-Clair icily. «He could never get near the President now that his plan has been exposed. However much Rodin and his henchmen have promised to pay this jackal, they will ask for their money back and cancel the operation.»
«You feel the man has been warned off,» interposed Lebel softly, but feeling is not far from hoping. I would prefer to continue enquiries for the present.»
«What is the position of these enquiries now, Commissaire?» asked the Minister.
«Already, Minister, the police forces who have made these suggestions are beginning to send by telex the complete dossiers. I expect to have the last by noon tomorrow. Pictures will also come by wire. Some of the police forces are continuing enquiries to try and pin the whereabouts of the suspect down, so that we can take over.»
«Do you think they will keep their mouths shut?» asked Sanguinetti.
«There's no reason for them not to,» replied Lebel. «Hundreds of highly confidential enquiries are made each year by senior policemen of the Interpol countries, some of them on an unofficial person-to-person basis. Fortunately all countries, whatever their political outlook, are opposed to crime. So we are not involved in the same rivalries as the more political branches of international relations. Co-operation among police forces is very good.»
«Even for political crime?» asked Frey.
«For policemen, Minister, it's all crime. That is why I preferred to contact my foreign colleagues rather than enquire through foreign ministries. Doubtless the superiors of these colleagues must learn that the enquiry was made, but there would be no good reason for them to make mischief. The political assassin is the world's outlaw.»
«But so long as they know the enquiry was made, they can work out the implications and still privately sneer at our President,» snapped Saint-Clair.
«I do not see why they should do that. It might be one of them, one day,» said Lebel.
«You do not know much about politics if you are not aware how some people would be delighted to know a killer is after the President of France,» replied Saint-Clair. «This public knowledge is precisely what the President was so anxious to avoid.»
«It is not public knowledge,» corrected Lebel. «It is extremely private knowledge, confined to a tiny handful of men who carry in their heads secrets that, if revealed, might well ruin half the politicians of their own countries. Some of these men know most of the inner details of installations that protect Western security. They have to, in order to protect them. If they were not discreet, they would not hold the jobs they do.»
«Better a few men should know we are looking for a killer than they should receive invitations to attend the President's funeral,» growled Bouvier. «We've been fighting the OAS for two years. The President's instructions were that it must not become a press sensation and public talking point.»
«Gentlemen, gentlemen,» interposed the Minister. «Enough of this. It was I who authorised Commissaire Lebel to make discreet enquiries among the heads of foreign police services, after…» he glanced at Saint-Clair… «consulting with the President.»
