The Search for Martin Luther

March follows the missing official from a Swiss bank visit to a railway-yard imposture and an attempted public escape.

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An Empty Address

An Empty Address A Missing Official March calls Martin Luther’s home and learns that Luther vanished after claiming to travel to Munich. His wife says he carried his passport and feared something, but never explained what. A Case Inside a Case Luther’s absence links him to Buhler and Stuckart, both recently dead. March’s search now turns toward the man most likely to explain their last days.

The Swiss Withdrawal

The Swiss Withdrawal A Protected Account March travels to Zürich with a short-term visa and examines account 2402 at Zaugg & Cie. The records show that Luther opened the account in 1942 and visited it on April 13. A Misleading Deposit The box contains a stolen Renaissance portrait, but not the explanation March expects. Luther appears to have retrieved something else and carried it back toward Berlin.

A Body in Luther’s Clothes

A Body in Luther’s Clothes Apparent Identification A mutilated body found on railway tracks is identified by the Gestapo as Luther. March suspects that the staged accident is meant to close the investigation. The Living Voice After the announcement, Luther calls Charlotte and arranges to meet her at the Great Hall. The telephone call proves that the dead man was someone else.

A Planned Exchange

A Planned Exchange The Rendezvous Luther asks Charlotte to meet him at nine on the central steps of the Great Hall and insists that an embassy representative be present. March recognizes that Luther expects a public witness as protection. A Risky Bargain Luther is offering information in return for asylum. The proposed exchange pits the value of his evidence against the American government’s desire to preserve its summit with Germany.

The Public Assassination

The Public Assassination A Sniper’s Shot As Luther descends the steps, a high-velocity shot kills him before he can reach Charlotte. The timing suggests that someone knew the precise rendezvous. The Search Continues March escapes with Charlotte and Nightingale, but the evidence has not reached a safe audience. The murder forces March to identify the leak and find another route for the documents.

Wednesday, April 15

Thursday, April 16

Friday night, April 17

Saturday dawn, April 18

Saturday morning, April 18