“Oh, that’s very true, sir,” said Garlopis. “Unless one keeps notes, of course. I myself often kept notes to assist with simultaneous translations. But I always threw those away afterwards. The handwriting is all but illegible even to me sometimes, such is the speed with which one is obliged to write.”
“There you are,” said Dr. Papakyriakopoulos. “Straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. I could have used you in court the other day, Mr. Garlopis. As an expert witness. The fact is that for most of the occupation period when my client was employed by the Nazis he had no real acquaintance with the men for whom he was translating other than the fact that they wore Nazi uniforms and had the power of life and death over all Greek citizens, including him, of course. In short, he is a scapegoat for the failings of the Greek nation then and now. For Arthur Meissner to admit that he knew this German whom Lieutenant Leventis is looking for might prejudice his defense. He was just obeying orders and hoping to stay alive, and any evidence of his criminality has, so far, turned out to be little more than circumstantial or worse still, worthless hearsay. Nevertheless, he is a loyal Greek citizen, and I will put it to him tomorrow that you are willing to help him. It may be that he agrees to meet you, and it may be that he does not. But might I ask, what is your interest here?”
“The lieutenant seems to think that as a German I have a moral duty to assist the police with their inquiry. I’m not so sure about that, to be honest. I work for an insurance company but before the war I was a policeman. I came to Greece to adjust an insurance claim made by a German policy holder called Siegfried Witzel. Witzel was found murdered earlier today in circumstances that lead Leventis to suppose that his death may be connected with a murder that took place during the war, and also with the recent murder of an Athenian lawyer.”
“Dr. Samuel Frizis.”
“Yes. Did you know him?”
“Quite well.”
“If I assist Leventis with his murder investigation—if I can persuade Arthur Meissner to talk to me, for instance, in confidence—then he may be prepared to speak up in court for your client.”
“Samuel Frizis was a friend of mine. We were at law school together. Naturally I should like to see his murderer caught. This puts a different complexion on the matter under discussion. He’s a decent man, Stavros Leventis. An idealist. But what kind of a policeman were you, may I ask?”
“A detective. I was a commissar with the Berlin Criminal Police.”
“At the risk of being facetious, all the German police who were in Greece seem to have been criminals. That was certainly my client’s experience.”
“There’s some truth in that, yes.”
“I’m glad you say so.” He sipped his ouzo and seemed to catch the eye of a woman carrying a briefcase who was standing in the open doorway like a cat, wondering if she should come in or not. She looked worth catching, too, and not just her eye. “I read a lot of German history, Herr Ganz. I’m fascinated with this whole period, and not just because of this case. Correct me if I’m wrong but it’s my information that the Berlin Criminal Police came under the control of the Reich Main Security Office in 1939. That you were in effect under the control of members of the SS. And that you often worked in conjunction with members of the Gestapo. Is that right?” He paused. “If I sound curious about this it’s because I like to know exactly who I’m dealing with. And exactly how they might be of assistance in mounting an effective defense. For example, it’s also my information that many members of Kripo were operationally obliged to become members of the SD. In other words, when you were put into uniform, you were only obeying orders. Much like my client.”
“Take a walk, would you?” I asked Garlopis.
“A walk? But I haven’t finished my drink. Oh, I see. Yes, of course, sir.” Garlopis stood up awkwardly. “I’ll wait in that café across the street, with Lieutenant Leventis.”
Garlopis went out of the bar looking like a sheepish schoolboy who had been told to play somewhere else. I told myself I was going to have to make it up to him later.
“You’re well informed, Dr.—” I shook my head. “I don’t think I’ll even try to pronounce your name.”
“I try to be. Where did you see active service? It wasn’t Greece, I’ll be bound. If you’d been here you’d hardly have come back.”
“France, the Ukraine, Russia. But not Greece, no. I wasn’t a Party member, you understand. And I think you’re right. Germany behaved abominably in this country. The man Leventis is looking for—the one who committed a murder during the war—he was also in the SD. That’s why Leventis thinks I can help.”
“Set a fox to catch a fox, eh?”
“Something like that. If I’m leveling with you now it’s so you know that I’ll do the same with Arthur Meissner.”
“Well, I appreciate your honesty. And as I said, I’m very keen to help catch the murderer of Samuel Frizis. Although connecting it with a murder that took place during the occupation looks like a much more difficult task. After all, there were so many.”
“True, but there’s no doubt in my mind or his that catching this particular fox would take a great deal of the heat off your client. Not to say all of it.”
“Interesting idea.” Dr. Papakyriakopoulos nodded at the woman in the doorway, who seemed to have been awaiting his permission, and she came inside the bar.
“What
