The Night of the Generals Page #11

will shortly make an announcement.

Meanwhile, those of us in sector three

will carry out our appointed tasks.

Hello. Hello, operator?

Operator!

Sergeant, what's happened

to the direct line?

The line's been cut.

- What?

- Sandauer!

Sir?

Where's my call to Berlin?

The line has been cut, sir,

according to the colonel.

Then use the radio.

Put it through to my office.

Yes, sir. Sergeant, get me Berlin

on the radio and put it through

to the general's office.

General Tanz.

Yes.

In Warsaw, two years ago,

I wanted to question you

about the murder of Maria

Kupiecka, remember?

Who cut the telephone wires?

There's a new government in Berlin,

and you're to be arrested

in exactly 15 minutes

for treason.

But I'm here to arrest you

for murder.

Sandauer!

Sir?

Are we through to Berlin?

Not yet, sir.

Last night...

Last night, as you know,

there was another murder.

In the Rue Leandre.

It was identical

to the Warsaw murder.

Corporal Hartmann,

your driver...

This is Berlin. We are transmitting

the following most important message

from the Fuhrer's headquarters

at Rastenburg.

Today at 1240 hours, an attempt

to assassinate the Fuhrer was made

by a group of vicious traitors!

The Fuhrer is alive!

The assassin's bomb

hardly touched him.

It wounded, however, a number

of members of the Fuhrer's staff.

The circle of conspirators is...

Sandauer!

Sir?

Switch the broadcast

to loudspeakers in the courtyard.

Yes, sir!

And above all,

nothing in common with Germans.

Now, colonel,

which of us

has committed treason?

I'm not interested

in treason, general.

I'm interested in murder.

Today, someone attempted

to murder the Fuhrer.

That should be your sole concern

at this moment.

Where were you last night,

general, between 11 and 2 a.m.?

Seig Heil! Seig Heil! Seig Heil!

He came here to arrest me

for treason.

Sergeant!

Yes, sir?

Take him away.

All combat units to proceed

immediately to headquarters

of the military governor of France.

Yes, sir.

You are to arrest

the entire headquarters staff.

Yes, general.

I myself will arrest the governor.

For treason.

- Good morning.

- This way, please. This way.

General Kahlenberge?

Yes?

I'm Inspector Morand

with Interpol.

How do you do?

May I come with you, please?

Arriving from Dusseldorf,

Lufthansa flight 761, gate number 8.

I left Paris on July the 20th,

somewhat hurriedly,

as you might imagine,

and surrendered

to the Americans. Porter.

And General Gabler?

General Gabler survived,

as always. Two cases, both grey.

Pan American?

In about five minutes, sir.

I seem to spend more time waiting

for baggage than travelling.

I've been on the move a lot this year.

Since May the 12th, to be exact.

Yes.

General, the morning of...

If you don't mind,

nowadays I prefer my civilian title.

The morning of July the 20th, 1944,

a Colonel Grau came to see you.

Colonel Grau?

Oh, yes! I remember!

Amazing. It's those murders,

isn't it?

I'll never forget, when the whole

world was tumbling about our ears,

there was Colonel Grau,

mad as a hatter, trying

to solve his little murders.

Colonel Grau was my friend.

When I was in the French Resistance,

he was helpful.

And now you want to solve

the murders for him.

You are perceptive.

Isn't it a little late in the day?

Colonel Grau always felt

that any day is a good day

to catch a murderer.

The last time I saw him,

he was on his way

to your headquarters.

Yes, that's right. He wanted to know

about one of my men.

A Corporal Hartmann.

Then you do recall the case?

Yes, vividly. Corporal Hartmann

disappeared on the 20th.

He'd been assigned as General Tanz's

driver for two days, and during that...

General Tanz's driver?

Yes.

Your baggage is here.

Thank you, general.

Sorry, Herr Kahlenberge.

Thank you very much.

"Schussnigg, Willi, 48,

plasterer, born in Hamburg.

Convicted of four separate

sexual misdemeanors

involving prostitutes.

On parole since

January 1965."

On the night of May the 12th,

where were you?

Here, sir, in Hamburg.

Picture!

Picture.

Did you know this girl?

I say, did you know this girl?

Yes, sir. That's Erika Mueller.

Do you know where she is now?

She's dead, sir.

I read it in the papers.

Last week.

How did she die?

Well, they said... The papers said

she was found in a hotel room...

cut to pieces.

She was killed.

By a man who picked her up

in the Blue Harbor Bar.

Were you in the Blue

Harbor Bar that night?

No, sir. I wasn't, sir.

Yes, he was! I saw you!

You talked to her.

You talked to Erika at the bar!

Didn't he?

Yes, I saw him too!

That's a lie!

I never spoke to her!

Did you speak to her, yes or no?

Well, maybe, sir.

I offered her a drink,

but that's all.

You see, I talk to everybody.

He's the one who left with her!

He killed her! He's the one!

I didn't go with her!

I didn't kill her!

I didn't! I didn't! I didn't!

All right.

At what time did you...?

I'm sorry, Inspector Hauser,

but I must see you at once.

It's urgent.

Continue the interrogation.

Yes, sir.

At what time

did you leave the bar?

I don't know.

Between 10, 11.

The girl's positive

that he's the one who left

with Erika Mueller.

He may have left with her,

but he didn't kill her.

You still believe that the man

who killed Erika is the same one

who killed that girl in Paris

over 20 years ago?

And the one in Warsaw too.

The murderer's signature

is unmistakable.

The state of the bodies,

the absence of clues.

But who was in Hamburg

a few days ago,

who was also in Paris

22 years ago

and in Warsaw in 1942?

Maybe...

Maybe Corporal Hartmann?

Who no longer exists.

Or... General Tanz,

who does?

General Tanz? He's in prison,

isn't he? A war criminal.

According to my information,

he was in prison until last March,

when he was released.

Could you check on that?

And if it's true,

on his recent movements?

You understand

this is most confidential.

Of course.

Now...

Now we must

find Corporal Hartmann.

That is, if he's still alive.

He is the key to what happened.

But how are you going to find him?

You know we've tried everything.

His parents are dead.

You saw his cousin Otto,

who won't talk about him.

So who else is there?

Who else would know where he is?

Inspector Morand?

What can I do for you?

Excuse me, madam.

I would like to see your daughter.

My daughter? But why do you

want to see my daughter?

To ask her some questions

about someone

I believe she knew in Paris,

during the war.

Eleanore.

Excuse me.

Chief Inspector Morand from Paris.

My husband.

Always happy to meet

one of our French allies.

Thank you.

He wants to talk to Ulrike.

You see me at my labors.

I'm writing my memoirs.

They should be most rewarding.

General, if...

You are kind.

But then, I've always felt

that even in war, gentlemen,

though they may be on opposing

sides, still have much in common.

It was everyone's misfortune

that Hitler was not a gentleman.

Yes.

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