13-09-2019, 07:50 AM
"Hmm." Helen hmmed. "We know Scott wasn't an idiot. He had to know Dietz wasn't going to return them when he's done. Hero worship or not, you don't give away all that hardware in exchange for an autograph. And you don't dump that kind of money in your bank account, where the bank and the government ask where you got all that from. You keep it hidden in liquid or easy-to-liquefy form." She took out her phone and sent a text to the three men at the crime scene to look for a bunch of cash. "He wouldn't have had time to blow it all on more Hitler bobbleheads or whatever. A nut like him wouldn't trust banks, so that rules out a safe deposit box. If it's not under the bed or in the closet, it's in a wall somewhere. Knowing how much Dietz gave Scott for the guns might give us an idea of Dietz's bankroll."
"If Dietz goes anywhere he can withdraw money," Mander thought aloud. "He gets picked up on camera and he's fucked. He'd know that, so he either brought a briefcase of euros or someone's going to the bank for him."
"Yeah, I'm not going to be able to ask Troy to follow the money this time. Dietz wouldn't be stupid enough to go around using credit cards and making money transfers we could track. Your briefcase full of cash theory feels right." She gave a thought to that, then pounded the coffee table, causing some of the pictures to fall off.
"He's sacrificed five of his own people already. If he's as smart as everyone's saying, he didn't blow all his pawns on the second move. Scott was key to the plan; four guys you send to steal a tank are expendable. So, he's gotta have more guys. Because if it was down to Dietz and he's as cunning as all that, someone pulling his strings or not, he'd already realize he couldn't win, get the fuck out of San Finzione, and save his own ass."
"You need four guys on a Panzer crew." Mander followed along. "One to drive, one to load the shells, one to fire them, and one for the MG on top. Whyte sent half his forces at a time. Dietz would know better than putting everything on all-or-nothing rolls of the dice like that. We got maybe a third of his crew."
"Factoring in that Jerry Scott was, hopefully, his only man in San Finzione, that leaves him with maybe eight guys and himself holed up somewhere. Dick or not, he still has to feed them." She took a last drag as she made the connection. "Which means he needs to send one of them to market for supplies! And he's spending enough cash to feed nine men."
Mander caught on and offered his thoughts.
"They must've visited Scott's house at least once for the tools and guns. Unless they ran into a second sympathizer who'd hide them just out of the evilness of his heart, he's paying for a room or rooms, too; probably also, in cash. We've only seen the one and I didn't get a good look at his hair before he didn't have a head anymore." Helen gave a little smile at that. "Course, you're making a war picture, so a bunch of probably Aryan guys like Dietz would blend into the crowd these days. Presuming his crew's mostly blond, blue-eyed white guys like himself, a big group of 'em could claim to be starving actors throwing their money together to get a place while they wait for stardom to happen."
Helen thought on that.
"That might make a good cover story. Luc said at the meeting that he thought a trick like 'put on an SS uniform and walk around the studio freely' was too pedestrian for him, so that's out. And it wouldn't just be food he's got to send them out for. Troy and I estimated they've been here under a week. He's a prick, but if he knows anything about keeping up morale for a dozen guys holed up that long, fear and mockery's not enough. He's got to be providing basic essentials for guys like them: beer, cigarettes, playing cards, some porn; stuff for boredom." Helen lit another cigarette while she was on the subject. "But he still can't risk someone noticing a bunch of guys who probably resemble him coming and going with all those grocery bags and cases of beer... he'd have to stock up."
"Well, we got a rough shopping list: smokes, beer, food enough for about a dozen." Mander stated. "Dietz is probably big on German food, so he's likely to buy a bunch of sausages and sauerkraut and such. So, one of them's going to the shops; paying a ton of cash for all of it. I know it don't work like on TV where cashiers remember every customer and every sale, but a thing like a guy paying for a small Oktoberfest with a big stack of bills sticks with you. And you can use your Thing to find out for sure. I still got no clue how ya do it and know better than to ask, but it's one at a time instead of a whole movie, right? Gotta be easier."
"Yeah much easier. I could mutter the command like I did with Compton." Her mood brightened. "That sounds non-dangerous and 'something La Contessa can do that someone lower down in her government can't' enough for Troy's tastes. Something we can do while the law guys do their law stuff!" Helen stood up and grabbed her purse from the open safe. "Let's go shopping. To the Contessamobile!!" She thought another second. "Ok, that's TWO things I've gotta come up with better names for now."
* * *
"If Dietz goes anywhere he can withdraw money," Mander thought aloud. "He gets picked up on camera and he's fucked. He'd know that, so he either brought a briefcase of euros or someone's going to the bank for him."
"Yeah, I'm not going to be able to ask Troy to follow the money this time. Dietz wouldn't be stupid enough to go around using credit cards and making money transfers we could track. Your briefcase full of cash theory feels right." She gave a thought to that, then pounded the coffee table, causing some of the pictures to fall off.
"He's sacrificed five of his own people already. If he's as smart as everyone's saying, he didn't blow all his pawns on the second move. Scott was key to the plan; four guys you send to steal a tank are expendable. So, he's gotta have more guys. Because if it was down to Dietz and he's as cunning as all that, someone pulling his strings or not, he'd already realize he couldn't win, get the fuck out of San Finzione, and save his own ass."
"You need four guys on a Panzer crew." Mander followed along. "One to drive, one to load the shells, one to fire them, and one for the MG on top. Whyte sent half his forces at a time. Dietz would know better than putting everything on all-or-nothing rolls of the dice like that. We got maybe a third of his crew."
"Factoring in that Jerry Scott was, hopefully, his only man in San Finzione, that leaves him with maybe eight guys and himself holed up somewhere. Dick or not, he still has to feed them." She took a last drag as she made the connection. "Which means he needs to send one of them to market for supplies! And he's spending enough cash to feed nine men."
Mander caught on and offered his thoughts.
"They must've visited Scott's house at least once for the tools and guns. Unless they ran into a second sympathizer who'd hide them just out of the evilness of his heart, he's paying for a room or rooms, too; probably also, in cash. We've only seen the one and I didn't get a good look at his hair before he didn't have a head anymore." Helen gave a little smile at that. "Course, you're making a war picture, so a bunch of probably Aryan guys like Dietz would blend into the crowd these days. Presuming his crew's mostly blond, blue-eyed white guys like himself, a big group of 'em could claim to be starving actors throwing their money together to get a place while they wait for stardom to happen."
Helen thought on that.
"That might make a good cover story. Luc said at the meeting that he thought a trick like 'put on an SS uniform and walk around the studio freely' was too pedestrian for him, so that's out. And it wouldn't just be food he's got to send them out for. Troy and I estimated they've been here under a week. He's a prick, but if he knows anything about keeping up morale for a dozen guys holed up that long, fear and mockery's not enough. He's got to be providing basic essentials for guys like them: beer, cigarettes, playing cards, some porn; stuff for boredom." Helen lit another cigarette while she was on the subject. "But he still can't risk someone noticing a bunch of guys who probably resemble him coming and going with all those grocery bags and cases of beer... he'd have to stock up."
"Well, we got a rough shopping list: smokes, beer, food enough for about a dozen." Mander stated. "Dietz is probably big on German food, so he's likely to buy a bunch of sausages and sauerkraut and such. So, one of them's going to the shops; paying a ton of cash for all of it. I know it don't work like on TV where cashiers remember every customer and every sale, but a thing like a guy paying for a small Oktoberfest with a big stack of bills sticks with you. And you can use your Thing to find out for sure. I still got no clue how ya do it and know better than to ask, but it's one at a time instead of a whole movie, right? Gotta be easier."
"Yeah much easier. I could mutter the command like I did with Compton." Her mood brightened. "That sounds non-dangerous and 'something La Contessa can do that someone lower down in her government can't' enough for Troy's tastes. Something we can do while the law guys do their law stuff!" Helen stood up and grabbed her purse from the open safe. "Let's go shopping. To the Contessamobile!!" She thought another second. "Ok, that's TWO things I've gotta come up with better names for now."
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