10

I had been back at my desk but a few days when headlines of the Lusitania explosion streaked like the tongues of angry dragons across the newspaper, and suddenly everyone became very concerned about the war in Europe.

People in the office were discussing it the Monday following the disaster, and beginning to talk for the first time of choosing sides. The Germans vowed that the British merchant ship was carrying munitions, so they had every right to bomb it. Also, and this was not to be denied no matter which side was taken by an individual, the passengers were warned before they boarded ship and sailed for the war zone. Eventually the whole incident would be diverted from the attention of the public by a mass of bureaucratic red tape, memos, and papers back and forth between the United States and Germany. Yet it held a sharp and lasting significance for me, though I knew no more about the tragedy than anyone else at the time.

A couple of weeks later I was visited by Michael Stobalt. It appeared that the most inexperienced spy on behalf of the BNA cause was suddenly placed in a position of crucial importance. He began in his clipped and precise phrases, “Miss Devera, the developments over the past few months are such that we feel it unfair to involve you any further unless you have a complete understanding of what dangers you might be facing and are willing to face them. I cannot make your decision for you, but a moral obligation forces me to outline the situation for you and warn you. If you wish to cease helping, it will be completely understood, and the facts you’ve uncovered for us to date already far exceed anything expected.”

I stared at him, wondering if he realized just how little I had really done.

“Through information you passed to us, we’ve been able to link certain shipments of copper from Cabot Consolidated Copper to destinations here in the States. We have certain proof that a large quantity has never left the country for points overseas.”

“But I thought Germany was in dire need of copper and other raw materials to fight the war—where’s it been going?”

“You know of certain instances in the past of munitions ships in the New York harbor exploding, and you will remember I explained to you in the beginning we knew that German sabotage was responsible for the planning of this sort of activity.

“Now we’ve been able to link copper going from Mexico to points where it is used in the making of several types of explosives, including old-fashioned clockwork—time—bombs, and just lately an incendiary bomb which is small yet lethal, and cigar-shaped, called a pencil bomb. These small bombs are equipped with time devices and are easily slipped into hidden places aboard ships headed for Allied countries, hours, or even days before detonation.

“We know that Adolph Tetzel has been responsible for the supply of much of the copper used in the making of such explosives.”

I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I whistled under my breath.

“We have reason to believe that, contrary to information given to the public, it is almost a certainty that two of the time bombs—somewhat unreliable but more frequently used until recently—were placed on board the Lusitania before she sailed from New York harbor.

“But the papers said—”

“I know, and still we have no proof—perhaps we never will. However, the fact remains that we have a definite link between Tetzel and explosives, which we have suspected for some time, not to mention his services in spreading German propaganda in the States and aiding in the plot to return Victoriano Huerta to power in Mexico.”

“But you know he was against Huerta, in favor of the man named Barrista.”

“Yes—part of the puzzle as yet unsolved.”

“Couldn’t he be picked up, then? That would be sure to scuttle the deal with Barrista.”

“Not necessarily.”

“But isn’t it wrong to go on letting the bombs be used?”

“We have managed to take measures to control them, at least for now.”

“So, what’s left?”

“We do not know how directly Mr. Cabot is involved, nor how much he himself knows. And there is also a possibility his wife may have ties in Colorado which prove significant. To blow the whistle now would be to lose any opportunity for getting entirely to the bottom of activities being carried on among the German Foreign Office, Mexico, and the United States. In short, Cabot holds the key. Should we pick up Tetzel, he may well turn to other sources within the German secret agencies, may continue to carry on activities detrimental to Mexico and to the United States, and to the advantage of those in Germany who wish to use him and others like him.”

“Can’t you pick up Cabot, too?”

“No, because there is no proof he was aware of the ultimate destination of his copper. Now, there is also the matter of the unnamed ‘third party’ in Tetzel’s correspondence.”

“So what happens next?”

“We intend to let the line out just a bit further on the plot to return Huerta to power, because we believe in-fighting among the German agents here in the States will eventually uncover more for us. Authorities can pick up Huerta any time before he actually crosses the border into Mexico, and manage to hold him.”

“What do you want from me?”

“If you decide to stay with us, you must redouble your efforts to find out more about this man Cabot, his wife, and his employee or employees. And if you can, discover a possible channel for written proof of Tetzel’s activities from this end. So far he has been able to retain a link of some kind which protects him from holding much material which would be invaluable testimony to his espionage activities.”

I thought of the proverbially empty safe compartment and said, “So, nothing has really changed.”

“Nothing except that now we know the extent of Tetzel’s activities is a great deal more far-reaching than we at first supposed. He may be a great deal more dangerous than we believed, may have lines open with persons much higher up in the German Foreign Office than we at first projected. He may be capable of deeds to which we would not want to subject you, Miss Devera.”

“You mean, like murder or something?” I asked, jokingly.

“Exactly,” he said. “It would be only too easy to rid himself of a young single woman, living alone in this large a city, should he become aware of your activities. You must know this risk is a very real one.”

Suddenly I began to believe his earnestness might be well founded. As I carefully laid a trap for Tetzel, leading him along as though on a leash, while bothered by feelings of guilt about what I was doing, I may instead have been laying my own trap.

“Well, what do you say? Or, would you like to think it over?”

“Who will be able to do what I’m doing? You can’t pick Tetzel’s secretary for him … it occurs to me now that it might have been my naïveté that convinced him to hire me.”

“Precisely.”

“Then if I go, you lose your grip on San Antonio—or at least your mainstay.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t suppose there’s really a choice. I’ve gone this far. I guess I’ll stick by.”

His mouth relaxed into a smile, but his eyes expressed concern. “Do be careful, and stay in frequent touch with Edwin. Be cautious about creating dangerous situations for yourself, and go to him for advice whenever you are in the least doubtful. Good luck, Miss Devera.”

“Thanks. I’ve a feeling I’m going to need it.”