By the end of the conversation, Dirk had confirmed Bucky’s guess of the reason that he’d held off blowing the whistle on him. The boy wanted out, and he wanted Nicholas Cravois to arrange it. “By Thanksgiving,” Dirk had said hopefully, but did not threaten “or else.” What date did Americans celebrate this holiday? Bucky had asked. The fourth Thursday of November, Dirk had answered. Ah well, Bucky said uncertainly. Monsieur must understand that General Cravois might not be able to arrange for his disappearance so soon. These things took time, careful planning, but he would see what he could do. Dirk had not argued the point or demanded the impossible, but Bucky had concluded for himself that if he failed, the sergeant would choose to improve his miserable situation with the Abwehr by turning him in. Each had held on to his secrets. Dirk did not divulge his friendship with Christoph Brandt or that he’d seen his knockout blond friend at the café, and Bucky did not volunteer the information that he was an American or that he was the son of Nicholas Cravois.

*  *  *

Saturday, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris arrived as the guest of his protégé, but informed him immediately that he would return to Berlin on a night flight, thus relieving Konrad’s fear of a disruption of his date with the widow. The admiral had come only to warn his friend that suspicions of his own anti-Nazi activities were growing at the Reich Chancellery. He wanted Konrad to prepare an exit plan “should the hammer that falls on me, fall on you.”

Konrad’s stomach had knotted, for unbeknown to his superior, Konrad was as deeply involved in conspiracies against the Third Reich as his commander. He had thought it best not to involve the admiral in his activities, since he had enough of his own to concern him, and the less each knew of the other’s work, the safer. But Konrad held one card that his mentor did not. His discovery that Barnard Wagner was an undercover agent working for either the English or the Americans came with an unexpected benefit. It provided a channel of escape for himself and his son.