This is the third and penultimate episode of Big Smoke. I hope to do a brief appreciation of the organization he served, and how Naval Intelligence acquired and divested itself of a Human Intelligence capability. Which included yachts with topless female crewmembers to deflect resistance to close-aboard passes of Soviet warships for important collection missions.

But I digress. Without further ado, here is the conclusion to Big Smoke’s adventure with the Corsican mob:

“After we struck a deal for five grand in exchange for a wad of counterfeit greenbacks, it was another fine evening and another new lady I had never met before. She was nice, but I decided to call it an early evening since but I was working and had to get up early to get to the Gare de Nice Ville and take the train to Paris.

Again, boarding the train and getting off was the same routine with the Surete’. They certainly always cleared the decks very carefully before any movement was made.

Back in Paris, I went to Surete’ headquarters. They took me to a vault where there must have been a fortune in counterfeit currency and they said they would try and find the best. Particularly, it had to be the best quality paper because the buy would probably be made at night and the supplier would do it by the feel of the paper. They said they had some very good currency, maybe the printing wasn’t that exceptionally good, but the paper was outstanding.

It was bundled up for me to take back to Nice to buy counterfeit with counterfeit, probably for good French business reasons. No sense in wasting the real stuff, though I was a little concerned about what would happen to me if the Corsicans had a chance to look at the money in good light.

When I returned to Nice, we had it set up to have the cab driver stop at the bar first thing. Sure enough we were as lucky as we could be. Albert was there, big as life sitting at a little table on the sidewalk, and I opened the door and said, “Come on with me to the hotel. I have to change and I want to show you what I’ve got.”

“Sure thing, Buddy,” he said with his New York accent. He got in the cab with me. We went to the hotel, because what I wanted him to do was to make sure he saw me put the package in the hotel safe. That evening we went to dinner, this time no ladies, just dinner, and later we got into Albert’s Citroen and drove up and down the city streets and alleys. To me it seemed like a cheap movie I was watching, with me as the Eddie Constantine character.

(Eddie Constantine)

Finally we stopped on a dark alley with cobblestone pavement. A guy jumped in the back with a big package and off we went again.

Now, the Surete’ had always assured me that no matter where I went or what I did, I would be in their view and I had nothing to worry about.

I asked Albert to stop the car under a streetlight so I could see the contents of the package. I opened the wrapper and examined the contents carefully. It looked very good and I said “Albert, this looks very good. I think we have a very good deal.” I folded the paper back together and held the bundle of fake greenbacks on my lap. “I have to go to the hotel and get the money out of the safe to pay you,” I said, and He gunned the engine, eager to complete the transaction.

There was a lot of chit-chat between Albert and the goon in the back seat that I could not follow, but I was on edge. If they tumbled to the fact that I was paying in fake dollars for other fake dollars I might very well be found floating in the harbor, and I did not want to have to go Eddie Constatine on them.

When we arrived at the hotel, I got a very uneasy feeling because there was nothing to indicate that the Surete’ detail was around. Still, there was nothing for it but to be bold. I ambled along and got the package from the desk clerk, and with the bundle of bills in my hand announced that I was getting a chill and told Albert, “I need my pea-coat. Back in a second.”

He tried to stop me, but I rushed upstairs and got the heavy wool coat, banging the door and doing everything I could to make sure that the agents knew the deal was going down, but when I walked down the stairs to the lobby there was still no law enforcement in sight.

As Albert and I went out the front door, I knew that going Eddie Constantine would be a challenge. I could take Albert, I thought, but the goon in the back seat would be the wild card. I had no idea how big he was, or what weapons he was carrying. I was starting to get a little nervous, since if Albert got a good look at my cash, I was going to be dead meat.

However, just as we came out of the hotel, it was gang-busters. It seemed like from every direction the Surete’ team arrived, made the arrest, and dragged us all down to the Nice police headquarters.

Albert and his goon were given the full treatment by the Surete,’ and I fully expected I was going to get the third degree as well to ensure that it looked plausible and that I was not part of a set-up.

It wasn’t long before I was escorted out and taken back to the hotel and told to get a good nights’ sleep. Christides said:  “You need it, Ami. Bon Nuit.”

I had to agree, and I did.

The following evening, the team and I had a nice dinner, very happy with what had happened so far and the next day we headed back to Paris.

We arrived there on New Year’s Eve, 1952. Considering how long ago it was, it feels as fresh today as it was then. I was just grateful I had no reason to try to act like a movie star.

I will have to fill in the loose ends that every case has tomorrow. I need my beauty sleep.

Copyright 2013 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com