Человек в высоком замке

           InthePSAatleasttenAbwehrpersonswereatwork,butsomeofthem—andpossiblyall—wereknowntothelocalSDanditscompetentseniorregionalchief,BrunoKreuzvomMeere.YearsagohehadmetBrunobrieflyataParteigathering.ThemanhadhadacertaininfamousprestigeinPolicecircles,inasmuchasithadbeenhe,in1943,whohaduncoveredtheBritish-CzechplotonReinhardHeydrich’slife,andthereforewhomightbesaidtohavesavedtheHangmanfromassassination.Inanycase,BrunoKreuzvomMeerewasalreadythenascendinginauthoritywithintheSD.Hewasnotamerepolicebureaucrat.

           Hewas,infact,aratherdangerousman.

           Therewasevenapossibilitythatevenwithalltheprecautionstaken,bothonthepartoftheAbwehrinBerlinandtheTokkokainTokyo,theSDhadlearnedofthisattemptedmeetinginSanFranciscointheofficesoftheRankingTradeMission.However,thiswasafterallJapanese-administeredland.TheSDhadnoofficialauthoritytointerfere.ItcouldseetoitthattheGermanprincipal—himselfinthiscase—wasarrestedassoonashesetfootagainonReichterritory;butitcouldhardlytakeactionagainsttheJapaneseprincipal,oragainsttheexistenceofthemeetingitself.

           Atleast,sohehoped.

           WasthereanypossibilitythattheSDhadmanagedtodetaintheoldJapanesegentlemansomewherealongtheroute?ItwasalongwayfromTokyotoSanFrancisco,especiallyforapersonsoelderlyandfrailthathecouldnotattemptairtravel.

           WhatImustdo,Mr.Baynesknew,isfindoutfromthoseabovemewhetherMr.