May 22, 1941
To Chateaugiron
Raymond and Laurent intended to drive to Chateaugiron to investigate the church that Antoinette had mentioned. They would go under the cover of inspecting art believed to be similar to that which was stolen.
As they left their building, two men in leather overcoats accosted them. They were Gestapo officers and asked them to come with them to Gestapo Headquarters.
At Gestapo Headquarters
Raymond and Laurent were led up to a second floor conference room, not an interrogation room, where they were interviewed by Gestapo Hauptsturmfuhrer Mehler
Mehler asked if they knew why they were there. Raymond and Laurent replied that they did not. Mehler responded that Mr. Cormier was investigating an art theft, and that his had client mentioned some German officials as “people of interest.”
Mehler asked who was that with Raymond. He replied that he was someone Raymond had contracted to drive him out to the Church of Saint Pierre in Chateaugiron.
Mehler asked why he was going to that church. Raymond replied to see if there were parties there interested in the type of art that was stolen. He added that it might make some people of interest more likely suspects.
Mehler changed tacks and asked if he had ever been to Betton. Raymond replied that he had not. He had not done any investigations in that area. He asked if Mehler believed that there may be a connection with the art theft there. The Gestapo officer ignored the question.
Mehler asked what he knew of Betton. Raymond replied that it was a small village not far from Rennes that was mentioned in the newspaper recently. That was all.
Mehler asked flat out if he had any contacts with the resistance. Raymond said he did not, making a joke that the Gestapo officer did not respond to.
Mehler then told Raymond that he had caught the interest of a high ranking German official and had to be vetted before he could see him. They had to be careful after the events near Betton, where his predecessor, Hauptsturmfuhrer Kalb, had been assassinated.
Mehler told them that they were invited to meet the head of Dienstelle Westen, Gottfried von Laue, at his lodgings at four o’clock. A driver would collect them at their lodgings.
Back at the Safe House
They considered the implications of this meeting. The Gestapo was aware of them, and von Laue had requested a meeting. They were also picking Raymond up at the safe house, which meant that the Gestapo were aware of them and their lodgings. They decided that Laurent would come along as his assistant.
They used the intervening time to research the stolen artwork and artists from among Norris’ gathered notes and references. Laurent examined Chaos by Corneliu Valerios and identified what looked like a fight scene. He recognized German helmets and a dead man in a blue beret. There was an image of Hitler orating, as well as farmland being bombed, and a fallen French helmet next to a rifle.
Raymond had some impressions about Goddess by Kilian Zeelen. There was something about the star in the center of the three eyes above the nose. It was out of place, a different color, did not fit in with the rest of the image. As he stared at the star, he got an uncomfortable sensation and had to run for the lavatory.
Interview with Von Laue
Raymond and Laurent were collected by the same Gestapo men outside their building at 3:30 and driven to the Hotel Royale. The building was guarded by SS soldiers, and their papers were inspected by SS personnel at the front door, and then at the front desk. Their Gestapo escorts were not granted entrance to the building.
Laurent noted that the hotel was full of senior German officers. He only noted ranks of colonel and higher among the people in the main floor lounge. They were given a document indicating their destination and directed up to the third floor. Their papers and the document were inspected at the landing of each of the three floors.
On the third floor, the guard took the document that the front desk officer had given them and escorted them to the indicated room. Upon knocking, the voice within granted them admission.
von Laue was alone in the room. He was cordial and friendly. Like the Gestapo, he knew that Raymond had been assigned to investigate the Rancourt art theft and that he was mentioned by Rancourt in connection with it. Raymond responded that he needed to follow up on anyone mentioned in connection with the art.
von Laue said he understood and would cooperate fully. He said that he was interested in the cultural implications of the statuary for the Eugenics Museum to be built in Germania, but that the paintings were degenerate. They were modern and unsuitable for Aryan viewing. He said that he would probably have confiscated and destroyed them eventually, but stated firmly that neither he nor anyone under his committed was responsible for the theft.
Raymond asked von Laue to inform him if his people recovered the paintings so that perhaps he could get credit for finding them as that accounted for a significant portion of his commission. von Laue had an alternative proposal. He said that he did not trust the Gestapo or the French police, who were their puppets. Instead, he wanted Raymond to find who stole the artwork and tell him, so that Dienststelle Westen could deal with the thieves, who sought to deny the art from the Third Reich.
Raymond agreed to the proposal so long as he would get credit for recovering the art. von Laue said he was not interested in the art, only in the people who were trying to conceal it from him. Raymond would get full credit for the recovery of the stolen pieces.
von Laue mentioned that he suspected that Raymond had knowledge that would be of assistance in the investigation. Raymond thought that the Nazi was fishing for signs of Mythos knowledge. Raymond responded that his investigative abilities had been sufficient in the past.
von Laue gave Raymond a telephone number and a recognition code (“the sky is gray,” response “there are signs of it clearing”) as well as the telephone number to a public telephone at Café Morvan. He instructed them to call the first number to initiate a meeting when they had some information. von Laue would contact them one hour later at the other number, to specify the time and place for a meeting.
While standing in the background, Laurent, in the guise of making notes, noted a diary open on the desk in von Laue’s handwriting. He made a note of it.
The vile Gestapo man was hovering around here again, but he is unwilling to push his luck, I think he is well aware of my friends. Meanwhile my search is fruitless, I know what is to be found here is vital, but there is no sign. The records indicate the piece was part of the collection and was put in storage, never leaving the museum. But can I find it? I am sure it is in the basement somewhere, when I do uncover it I teach that Gestapo fool to fear me!
They made their polite exit and were driven back to the apartment.
Reporting In
They considered going to the church in Chateaugiron, but as it was already 6PM, it would be past curfew before they arrived. Instead, they drove to the construction site where they had a radio hidden in a shed to make contact with N. The site was being watched by Alexandre who was working there to protect the radio from discovery.
They informed N that they had made contact with von Laue at Hotel Royale, which was the quarters for senior level German military personnel in Rennes. Hotel Royale would be a prime target for an air raid.
They reported that von Laue was collecting art from Rennes to be sent to a museum to be built in Germania. The stolen paintings may have had significance to primary mission. They also mentioned that von Laue had been fishing to see if Raymond had had Mythos knowledge.
They included information about the patient at the POW Hospital who believed that a satanic cult was poised to strike in Rennes, and provided grid references for Gestapo Headquarters and other significant military targets.
Finally, they advised N that they were moving on the industrialist and plans were progressing.
The transmission was difficult, and fearing possible detection, they suspended communication. As they were leaving the construction site, they spotted a German van with antennae on top. It stopped at the entrance to the site, but after a moment, it moved on.
They returned to the safe house, careful to ensure that they were not followed or observed.
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