Fantasy Whatever Gets You through the Night by TMaskedWriter

[Ramesh_Rocky]

Generalissimo Hernando Ramirez finished his call on the official line with San Finzione's ambassador to the United States. The ambassador told him that he would talk to someone, but that the Americans would want the murderer caught quickly and that State Department involvement would be unavoidable. Ramirez asked him to do what he could and assured him that La Policia were on the case and ended the call.

He checked the text from La Contessa that he'd gotten while on the phone. As she instructed, he forwarded the sketch on to his old friend, Detective Inspector Luc Allaine of Interpol. Ramirez lit a cigarette and then looked at the emails he'd missed while out.

Two minutes later, his personal phone played a ringtone that he hadn't programmed into it. Chuckling, Ramirez answered.

"Buenas tardes, Luc." He said, still chuckling.

"What has Violeta changed my ringtone to now?" Luc asked.

"It's Raining Men."

"An improvement from 'Lady Marmalade.'" Luc replied with a chuckle of his own. "Now that this is out of the way, what has happened in San Finzione that your Contessa would send you a sketch of Heinrich Dietz to pass along to me?"

"He murdered someone in the City earlier. An American." Hernando thought for a second as he smoked. "Luc, it is the weekend; more likely than anything, you were curled up with Sam watching Netflix. You are not at work, nowhere near your computer; I find it worrying that you know this man off the top of your head from the drawing."

"The artist is very good. We've been after Dietz for some time." Luc replied. There were the sounds of movement on his end. "A killer for hire, motivated racially as well as financially. Hits that we've connected him to have all been targets of white supremacist groups. He's what's known as a 'true believer.' Considered a legacy in those circles; his grandfather was... cheerfully employed at Dachau."

Ramirez's response was a noise that was half a groan and half a sigh.

"What you are telling me, Luc, is that the Jewish director of La Contessa's World War II film has just been murdered by a Nazi."

He heard the sound of a laptop computer powering up as Luc replied.

"You were right about my weekend, Hernando. We've been watching videos rather than news, and this is the first I am hearing of it. How long ago?"

"Almost three hours, you would not have seen it on the news yet. I would have called sooner, but the victim was an American. We needed to get the diplomats into action as quickly as possible."

"Mmm," Luc mmmed his understanding. "This film is La Contessa's pet project, no? The tale of the late Count's heroics in The War? And he was the director? You'd be surprised at how many people in this world cannot grasp the notion that Nazis are bad. I'd imagine the man got death threats; people in his line of work and mine get them all the time. He probably laughed them off or considered them some badge of honor; a sign that he's doing something right. You have all means of leaving the country being watched for him, correct?"

"Si." Ramirez replied. "The Prefect tells me that he left the scene in a blue rental car. No such car has crossed the borders and they are stopping all vehicles. All other means of leaving the country are being watched. They are going over tapes now to see if he got on a plane, boat, or train."

"If this is about the movie," Luc said as he typed. "Then whomever hired Dietz wanted to send a message to your Contessa. They will probably keep him in town to see whether she's received it or if they need to send another. But this film is a labor of love; I still must meet the woman, but I would imagine from what I know that this has not been enough to deter her."

"I can tell that she is firm on this. She's determined to find another director and continue."

Luc nodded at that on his end.

"Non, It is a love letter to her dear departed husband; she would be resolute. In this case, there are several things that I need to do now, old friend. The first is to call a taxi. The second is to have an argument with Sam as I pack a bag with my badge and gun. Then, either I, or hopefully, both of us; will be on the next flight to San Finzione."

Ramirez nearly dropped the phone. Because his old friend's husband worried so much about Luc's line of work, he accepted a desk position at Interpol HQ in Lyon; in a department where he was strongly disliked but his conviction record was high enough to make him essential, as he often picked up the slack of the less-competent but better-liked people in his department. The idea that Luc would come out into the field over this case was almost laughable to Ramirez, until the argument that he would have once they got off the phone began playing out in his head.

"You don't need to do that, Luc." He replied after a few seconds. "You have been behind a desk longer than myself. Giuseppe at the local office is a good man; he's been a good go-between before."