World War 2 Thriller Collection: Winter, The Eagle Has Flown, South by Java Head

His father seemed not to have heard. ‘I couldn’t say that to Danziger, of course.’

‘No, of course,’ said Glenn. In fact, old Cyrus Rensselaer’s opinion of Lottie Danziger’s suitability had not been sought by Harald Winter, by Veronica Winter, or by Peter Winter. And the old man had been hurt by that.

‘I miss her,’ said his father suddenly.

‘Veronica? But that’s half a lifetime ago.’

‘I should never have agreed to her going to Europe. I had a strange premonition about it.’

‘Really?’

‘But she was determined to go, and I wanted her to be happy.’ There was a passion in the old man that he’d not heard before. The loss of his beloved daughter was an agony that had tormented him all this time.

‘But that was more than thirty years ago, Dad.’

‘Wait till your children leave home; you’ll find out what it’s like.’

‘And me? Did you miss me?’

‘Sure I did. But I worried about Veronica. She was such a sweet child. So helpless, so trusting …I hate that bastard. You know that, don’t you?’

‘Harry?’

‘I’ll pay him back.’ For the first time his father smiled. It was the crafty smile that only the old know. ‘He’ll suffer as I’ve suffered. Then he’ll know what he did to me.’

‘You mustn’t blame Harry. He was an attractive man: powerful and ruthless in a way that Veronica found attractive…’ Glenn stopped.

‘Attractive in me? Is that what you were going to say?’

Reluctantly Glenn admitted it. ‘Yes, Harry is ruthless in that same way.’

‘And you didn’t admire it?’

‘It’s not my style, Dad. And that was just as well – we would have fought.’

‘You’re right, Glenn. You never fought me. You’ve been a good son. Did I never tell you that?’

‘You never did, Dad.’

‘Loyal. And I love loyalty. Just as I repay treachery. Want to know what I’ve done about Harry?’

‘I’m not sure I do.’

‘I’ve fixed it so that Peter is offered the job of a lifetime. And Harald adores Peter, the eldest.’

‘A job?’

‘A bank in Los Angeles. I recently bought a stake in it. They’ll offer Peter Winter a vice-presidency. He’ll come and live in America.’

‘A bank in Los Angeles?’

‘I fixed jobs for two of Dot’s boys in the bank there, and they are doing fine.’ Glenn nodded. He’d heard that the old man had gone to a lot of trouble for his stepsons. They, in return, had taken the name Rensselaer. ‘And Peter will do fine, too.’

‘I’d forget about it, Dad. You don’t want to come between father and son.’

‘What about father and daughter?’ the old man said shrilly. ‘That’s what he did, that Harald Winter, the swine.’

‘That was natural. He fell in love. He didn’t do it to give you a bad time, Dad.’

‘He fell in love with the Rensselaer money, that’s what he fell in love with; everyone knows that.’

‘He was doing all right without it.’

‘He was on the verge of bankruptcy. I bailed that tinhorn out, not once but twice, and then he had the nerve to pay me back in confetti.’

‘Let him be, Dad. Veronica loves you; she’ll visit you. Be patient.’

‘It’s too late now. He’ll find out what it’s like. He’ll find out and I’ll have the laugh on him.’

‘Take it easy, Dad.’

‘He’ll find out what it’s like to lose your favourite child.’

Glenn Rensselaer nodded but didn’t answer. He’d always known that he wasn’t his father’s favourite, but hearing him say it hurt, hurt like hell.

‘It’s nothing to cry about’

Veronica Winter knew before her husband, and it was Lottie Winter who told her. The two women had become very close since Lottie’s marriage to Peter. At first it had been no more than the comfort of an American voice, but over the months the relationship had become more like that of mother and daughter. Harald Winter didn’t like it, of course – he’d never liked Lottie enough to welcome her as a daughter-in-law – but he was shrewd enough to know, right from the start, that he could do nothing to influence the relationship. So Veronica and her daughter-in-law had tea together regularly. It was an event to which both women always looked forward with great pleasure.

It was two weeks before Christmas when Lottie brought the exciting news about the job. An Italian-born vice-president of the bank had made a special journey from Milan, Italy, where he was consolidating a big loan and visiting some members of his family, just to put the matter to Peter in person.

‘But it will be wonderful, Lottie. You’ll be with your family again.’

‘Yes, it will be.’

‘Why so down-in-the-mouth?’ said Veronica. She’d never seen her daughter-in-law like this before.

‘I feel so at home here now. It has been so marvellous putting the home together for Peter that I can’t face the thought of losing it all and starting again.’

‘But think of the sunshine and your family.’

‘I know, I keep telling myself that. But here I’m a person, a someone. At home my folks treat me like a child.’

‘Not now you’re married, they won’t, Lottie darling. Your mother will be transported to have you there with her.’

‘She’s not my real mother. My real mother died in a railroad accident in Chicago when I was five.’

‘I’m sorry, Lottie; I forgot that.’