0830 13 April 1943
"This came in overnight, Bill," Colonel A. F. Graham, USMCR, said to OSS Director William J. Donovan, and laid a large manila envelope on his desk. "I thought you better have a look at it."
Donovan took the manila envelope, removed from it a slightly smaller white envelope stamped TOP SECRET in large letters, from that took two sheets of neatly typed paper, and then started to read them.
To judge by his expression, his initial reaction was not favorable.
TOP SECRET LINDBERGH
URGENT
PROM STACHIEP AGGIE
1605 GREENWICH 12APR43
MSG NO OOO2
TO ORACLE WASHDC EYES ONLY
FOR DDWHO GRAHAM
1. IN RE LINDBERGH.
A. RELIABLE SOURCE (HEREAFTER GALAHAD) REPORTS REINE DE LA MER REPLACEMENT IS SPANISH REGISTERED COMERCIANTE DEL OCEANO PACIFICO (HEREAFTER GROCERYTWO) EN ROUTE ARGENTINA CARRYING LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY AND VALUABLES (UNCONFIRMABLE FIGURE 100 REPEAT 100 MILLION DOLLARS) PURPOSE ACQUIRING SAFE HAVEN FOR FUNDS AND/OR ACQUIRING REAL ESTATE FOR POSSIBLE POSTWAR HAVEN FOR SENIOR NAZIS. INVESTIGATING.
B. POSSIBILITY EXISTS LINDBERGH RANSOM FUNDS INTENDED FOR SAME PURPOSE. INVESTIGATING.
"There he goes again," Donovan said.
"Excuse me?"
"Another unidentified 'reliable' source. Who the hell is 'Galahad'?"
"He doesn't say," Graham said.
Donovan ran his eyes down the rest of the message.
"And he hasn't identified the other one, 'Cavalry,' either. You did ask for that information, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did."
"Do you think he forgot to send it?" Donovan asked sarcastically. "I would hate to think he's ignoring you, Alex."
"Frade may have his reasons."
"For example?"
"It comes immediately to my mind that he doesn't want the others on the team to know the identities of these people
in case they find themselves inter-rogated."
"And what if something happens to Frade and nobody else knows who Cavalry or Galahad are? They would then be lost to us."
"I'm sure he's considered that."
"And decided not to tell you?"
Graham nodded. "That's possible. Maybe even likely. I think I have to give Frade the benefit of the doubt on something like this."