Текст книги "Заговор мечей"
Автор книги: Джейн Doy Press
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Текущая страница: 30 (всего у книги 40 страниц)
Teren nodded, a sheepish grin curling her lips. “What were you going to say, then?”
“Why don’t you let me take the lead? When we knock on the door? You have to admit I’m less intimidating, and your eyes are sharper.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She took a good look around the area, noticing where cars were, and who was on the street. There didn’t appear to be anything out of place, and her internal alarms were quiet. “Let’s go.”
Florian Kirchner was the man who sold several items of Nazi memorabilia to Otto Keppelmann. He had also sold art pieces to the Altbusser Galerie, which Alex had eventually matched to the list of art works stolen by the Nazis and never recovered. His father, Helmut, had died the previous year, according to the report that Alex had found on the internet. While they didn’t actually have anything to connect Florian to their case, his father’s obituary had listed him as a former deacon in St. Luther’s Evengelical Church. The younger Kirchner was not listed as being a member, but it was a connection that neither Alex nor Teren wanted to ignore.
There was no answer to their knock on the door. They waited for a few moments, then Teren pulled out her kit, and worked on the lock while Alex stood guard. Within seconds the door was open, and they entered.
The apartment had been trashed.
Furniture had been knocked over, and the cushions from the sofa were strewn haphazardly across the floor. Books from the shelves lay on the floor by the bookcase. The glass coffeetable had been shattered.
“Got a pair of gloves?”
“Sorry, didn’t bring them with me.”
“Me neither. Don’t touch anything with your hands.”
“No kidding, Teren.”
Cautiously they picked their way through the clutter on the floor, trying to disturb it as little as possible.
“What the hell happened here?”
“Don’t know, Alex.” Teren gently pushed on the door to the bedroom. It was as bad as the rest of the apartment. “Doesn’t look like anyone’s here.”
“Doesn’t look like anyone’s been here for days, either.”
“Why do you say that, Alex?”
The shorter agent was in the open kitchen, looking at the dishes on the table.
“There’s still food in the dishes. Half-eaten.” She pointed to an overturned glass. “This looks like it was at least half-full.”
Teren put her hands on her waist and surveyed the damage. She sighed. “Damn. Looks like they got to him before we did.”
Alex nodded solemnly. “I don’t think, where ever he went, that he went willingly.”
“Neither do I.”
There was a noise at the door, and they both froze. The clear sound of a key in the lock made Alex pull back and pin herself against a wall in the kitchen, drawing her weapon as she moved. Teren crossed the room quickly, and ended up in a corner, a .45 in her hand. When the door opened, she was hidden behind it.
Whoever was there, gasped at the mess in the room, and stepped forward. Teren shoved the door, and put an arm around the person’s throat, her gun pointing to a temple. She pulled the person with her as she put her back against the door. Teren leaned on it until she heard it click closed.
Alex spun out of the kitchen area, her gun in the ready position, her left hand under her right. As she saw Teren’s captive, she relaxed just slightly.
“You move and you’re dead.” Teren’s voice was low and angry. The person nodded.
“Um, I think you can ease up a bit,” Alex said. “She doesn’t look like she’s going to be a threat.”
Reluctantly, Teren pushed her captive forward and released her chokehold. The woman fell to the couch with a short cry.
She was about Alex’s height, with dark wavy hair, which was cut short. Her glasses had ended up slightly askew on her face, and she twisted them back and looked up at Alex and Teren.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” She asked as she looked around. Though her accent was very strong, she spoke in English. “What have you done to Flori’s apartment?”
Alex slid her weapon back into her holster, and put a hand up. “Whoa, easy there. We didn’t do this. We were looking for Florian Kirchner, and the place was like this when we came in.”
“What do you mean, you were looking for Flori? He is dead. He was killed in a car accident three nights ago.”
Teren turned away, cursing under her breath. Alex glanced at her, but kept her focus on the woman on the couch. “My name’s Alex,” she said. Teren went stiff with the use of her real name, but Alex chose to ignore it. Something was telling her that this woman was harmless. “My friend Terry and I just came in from Zurich. We didn’t know Florian was dead.”
“He is. And my gir – um, my friend and I were asked if we would clean out his apartment, since he was our friend.”
“Wouldn’t his family normally do that?”
“He had no family. His mother died when he was just a boy, and his father died last year.”
“Weren’t there brothers or sisters?”
“No.”
Alex nodded and glanced at her partner. Teren was still facing the door, her jaw clenched tight.
“Okay.” The shorter woman sat next to the stranger. “Can I ask your name?”
“Ariane.”
“Well, Ariane. We needed to talk to Florian about his father. But I guess that’s not going to be possible now.” She bit her lip. “I don’t suppose you knew Helmut Kirchner?”
“Well, I met him once. He came to visit Florian while Verena and I were here. Flori and he got into a terrible row.”
“Really. Over what?”
“I don’t know. They were always fighting. Mostly over money. Flori liked to spend, and his father would get so angry about it.”
“What did his father do for a living?”
“He was an investment banker. Mr. Kirchner always wanted Flori to be a banker as well, but he wanted to study music instead.”
Teren seemed to have gotten control of herself, and she turnedback around to join the conversation. When she did, Ariane pulled away from her slightly.
Holding up a hand, Teren tried to calm her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you when you came in. But we didn’t know who you were, and we weren’t taking any chances.”
“How did you get in?”
A shrug. “I picked the lock. Sorry. Didn’t want to stand in the hall.”
Ariane glanced back and forth between them, a puzzled look on her face. “I don’t understand any of this. Was Flori in some kind of trouble?”
“Possibly. Ariane, do you know if Flori was ever involved in neo-Nazi activities?”
She shook her head emphatically. “Never. Flori hated anything to do with Nazis. That was one of the things he and his father fought over.”
“What do you mean? Was his father a Nazi?”
“No, but his grandfather was a member of the Nazi party. And Flori said his father kept all of his Nazi papers, and even the photographs of him and his Nazi friends during the war.”
“His grandfather? Do you know what his name was?”
“Josef. He was a soldier, but was injured, and spent most of the war in the office of the Minister of Finance.”
Teren raised her eyebrows. “When did Josef die, do you know?”
“Oh, it must have been the late fifties, I believe. Flori’s father was a teenager, I think.” She frowned. “What does this have to do with Flori? And why you are in his apartment, and why has it been – destroyed?”
Giving a deep sigh, Alex leaned forwad, her elbows on her knees. “I’m not sure why the apartment was messed up like this – but I think someone was looking for something. As for us,” she motioned to Teren and herself, “well, we’re investigating some missing money and we think Helmut Kirchner was involved. We were hoping to ask Florian about it.”
“But he’s dead, so it looks like this is a dead end for us.” Teren shook her head. “Come on, Alex. We might as well get out of here.”
“Give me a minute or two, Terry. I want to look around a little. That is,” Alex looked at the German woman beside her, “if it’s alright with you, Ariane?”
Ariane nodded. “As long as you don’t pull your guns anymore. I thought I was going to be dead or worse.”
They spent several minutes helping Ariane straighten the worst of the mess in the living room. Nobody even hinted at clearing the kitchen table. Ariane had taken one look and turned away, a green tinge to her face.
Alex was picking up books from the floor, stacking them on the book case. Several of them were in English, and she smiled to see some work from fantasy authors she herself had read. One of the books had what appeared to be an old photo sticking out of it and she gently pulled it from its hiding place.
Two young men smiled back at her from the photo. They were dressed in Nazi uniforms, and Alex guessed that one of them was Florian’s grandfather, Josef. Turning the photo over she read the inscription: Grossvater und sein Freund Werner Hoppe, 1943.
“Hey, Ariane? Do you know who this is?”
Ariane took the picture from Alex’s hand and studied it. “I believe that’s Florian’s grandfather on the left. He looks a little like Flori.”
Alex turned the picture over. “What does this say?”
“Grandfather and his friend Werner Hoppe, 1943.”
Teren immediately came to their side, examining the photo. “Josef Kirchner knew Werner Hoppe?”
“Looks like it.” Alex nodded. “Ariane, do you mind if we take the photo? It could help us a little.”
The German shrugged. “It’s okay with me. I would just have thrown it out, probably.”
“Thank you.” Teren slid the picture into the inner pocket of her jacket. “Alex, we should really get going.”
Alex nodded. “Ariane, it was nice meeting you. Wish it had been under better circumstances, though.”
“Yeah, and I’m sorry I scared you, Ariane.”
Ariane chuckled. “You certainly make an impression, Terry. And you are forgiven.” She grinned. “Life must be very exciting around you, I think. You certainly made my day a little less boring.”
Alex laughed, and Teren just looked at the floor.
“Come on, Alex, let’s go.”
Alex stared at the picture in her hand while Teren drove them cautiously through the city.
“So, Josef Kirchner knew Werner Hoppe.”
“And Hoppe changed his name to von Odbert.” Teren checked the rear view mirror again. “I’ll bet anything Helmut Kirchner worked for the bank that’s listed in the transactions for Odbert’s account.”
“No bet.” Alex finally looked up. “You think Florian’s accident was an accident?”
“With the way that place looked? Not likely. He was taken from the apartment, and they probably killed him, then put him in the car.”
“Mm. But why? Because he sold those things in Munich? Doesn’t seem like much of a reason.”
“Maybe he knew what his father was involved in, and threatened to blow the lid off the operation.”
Alex turned to look at her friend. “And what do you think he was involved with?”
“I don’t know. But I got a feeling von Odbert can tell us.”
“And we’re headed there now?”
“Well, kind of. Right now I’m headed to a restaurant I know. It’s not a classy place or anything, but we can get something quick, and eat it as we drive.”
“You think we’re being followed?”
“Haven’t seen anyone.” Teren pulled up to a stop light. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if someone was watching the hotel.”
“Gerd, you mean?”
“Maybe. I think it’s good that we decided to find another room somewhere.”
Alex shook her head. “I hate not knowing who we can trust and who we can’t.”
“I know the feeling.” Teren’s low words barely reached Alex’s ears.
Reaching out, Alex stroked the hand on the gear shift. “Glad I’ve got you around, Teren.”
Teren smiled. “Same here, Alex.” Checking the mirrors again, she put the car in gear and went through the intersection. “Okay, dinner, then we go to Odbert’s place.”
“Is it a long drive?”
“About an hour, I think, depending on traffic. It’s just outside the city. According to the address it’s in a pretty well-to-do area.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
Teren grinned, but kept her eyes on the road.
“Are we going to knock on the door at Odbert’s, or use other means of entry?”
“Good question. I haven’t decided.” Teren shrugged. “I think it’ll depend on what we find when we get there.”
“Right.” Alex’s stomach growled. “And how long until dinner?”
Laughing, Teren pulled the car over to the curb. “About five minutes, okay?”
“Sure. Shall I come in with you?”
“Absolutely.” She turned off the engine. “By the way, do you want to try a true German delicacy?”
“Sure. What do you have in mind?”
“Eisbein mit Sauerkraut.”
“Umm, I’m not really a fan of sauerkraut. What’s eisbein?”
“Pickled pork knuckles.”
Alex wrinkled her nose. “Ewww. Do you actually eat those?”
Teren shook her head. “Perry tried to get me to try them once, but they look as bad as they sound.”
“They why’d you ask me if I wanted them?”
“I thought I’d offer, in case you were feeling adventurous.”
“Yeah, well, if I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll try sneaking up on you and see if I get shot or not. I like my food a little safer.”
Teren chuckled as they entered the restaurant.
Chapter Thirty
The house that Alex and Teren were looking for was indeed within a well-to-do area on the outskirts of Munich. The estate, one of only four on the street, was bordered on two sides by roads, and on one by a lake. There was a long circular drive with both an entrance and exit onto the street. The large house could be seen from the beginning of the drive, as it peeked out of the trees.
Teren kept a slow but steady pace as she drove past the estate. She could see that there were two cars in the drive, one with a well dressed man leaning casually against it. Trying not to draw attention to herself, Teren kept going, turning right at the corner.
After circling the block, she drove back toward the house, pulling over from what she considered a safe vantage point. She could see the drive, and the cars parked there, but felt confidant she and Alex were far enough away not to draw attention to themselves.
“Alex, would you grab my bag and hand it to me?”
Her shorter companion reached over the back seat and found the pack Teren had tossed there.
“So, what’s in here? The Helmet of Invisibility?”
Teren smiled. “Good thought, but no. It’s just a pair of binoculars.” She extracted the glasses. “I don’t like the two cars being there, and I want to keep an eye on them until whoever it is leaves.”
“And what if they don’t leave ‘til tomorrow?”
Teren grinned. “Then I guess we’re going to lose some sleep tonight.”
Alex groaned.
An hour later, they were still waiting. Alex had taken a turn with the glasses, but passed them back to Teren when her eyes began to blur. Now, she just sat, watching Teren as she watched the house.
“Hey, Teren, I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”
“So, ask.”
“Do you think the CIA killed Kennedy?”
Teren slowly turned her head to her companion.
“Where did that come from?”
“I don’t know. I just wanted to break the monotony. You haven’t said a word in almost thirty minutes.”
Teren’s gaze returned to the house. “I know. I like the quiet.”
“Well, I don’t. I think it’s nice, when you’re working with someone, to have a conversation with them, and this seemed a safer subject than some I could ask about.” Then she grinned. “Besides, you’re CIA, who better to ask?”
She saw Teren’s eyebrow twitch, which, Alex was learning, meant she wanted to smile, but didn’t think she should. Alex was about to ask again, when Teren’s low voice rumbled across to her.
“Let me put it to you in two ways,” Teren said slowly. “First, I’ve made the acquaintance of several of the world’s top riflemen. Hell, two years ago I was one of the world’s top riflemen. And I’ll tell you, with a Mannlicher-Carcano, none of us could have pulled off what they say Oswald did.”
There was quiet again, then she looked calmly over at Alex.
“And secondly, I am not at liberty to discuss previous CIA operations.”
Their eyes met.
“Are we clear?”
Alex nodded. “Crystal.”
They both turned toward the driveway. Teren tensed.
“There are two men leaving. I can see one, and it looks like Eisenbein. He’s even wearing the pin he had on in the photo we found.”
“The other guy?”
“I can’t see his face, but it appears he’s arguing with Eisenbein. Neither of them look hap —” Teren broke off, and Alex saw her jaw clench.
“Teren?”
“Damn.”
“What’s wrong?”
The binoculars lowered, and furious blue eyes turned to Alex.
“The other guy is Gerd.”
Alex drew in a breath and held it for a moment. “Oh, shit.”
“Yeah.” She slammed her hand into the steering wheel. “Fuck. I never should have let him walk out of that room alive.”
“You couldn’t known what he’d do, Teren.”
“I should have, Alex.” The darker agent was growling. “After Mather, I should have known.”
Alex shook her head but didn’t contradict her. “What are we going to do?”
Teren watched as each car pulled away from the house, and came down the drive.
“We’re going to wait until full dark.”
“And then?”
A cold smile crossed Teren’s face, and her eyes narrowed. “Then we pay Herr von Odbert a visit.”
They moved the car further away from the house, to a small parking lot by the lakeside. From there, Teren led Alex through the trees and shadows, till they came to the edge of the tree line. Alex estimated the side of the house was less than a hundred feet away.
So far, they had seen no sign of sentries, but Teren knew there was probably one somewhere. Using her binoculars, she finally spotted two men, one on the back porch, and one in an upstairs window. Both had rifles, and they were keeping a close watch on the trees.
“Amateurs.”
Alex heard Teren whisper the word. She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.
Teren had brought a small duffel bag with them. It was the smaller of the two she traveled with, and Alex had never seen her open it before this evening. The former assassin took out a small block of wood, wrapped in cloth. Alex couldn’t imagine what it was for, until Teren pressed a button on the side, and several pieces came off. After a few adjustments, Teren was holding a crossbow.
“Nice toy,” Alex whispered. Teren just smiled.
Hidden within another cloth was a set of short arrows. Teren chose one and slid it into place. Then, using her spyglasses for aiming, she fired. Alex was watching as she did so, and never heard the mechanism go off.
A moment later, the bow was replaced in the bag.
Teren motioned for her partner to follow her, and they moved silently back into the trees.
“Why didn’t you just take out both guys?”
They had moved to a position slightly closer to the porch, but still just inside the shadows of the trees. The moon had disappeared behind the clouds, and a slight wind had kicked up. The man on the porch was constantly moving around to keep warm.
“Because I want to ask him a question before I put him to sleep.” Teren handed her duffel bag back to Alex. “Stay here, and don’t move until I wave.”
“Right.”
Alex was trying hard not to shiver. Both she and Teren had left their jackets in the car, and were now wearing only jeans and dark sweatshirts. She was freezing. Teren, however, didn’t appear bothered by it.
Waiting for the right moment, Teren held her herself tightly against the trunk of the tree. When her quarry turned away, she slid out of the shadows and crawled soundlessly toward him. He turned back towards her, and she froze on the ground.
The wind gusted again, and the guard jumped up and down a few times. He wasn’t wearing any gloves, and in an effort to warm his hands, he slipped his rifle into the crook of his arm, and blew on his fists.
It was all the opening Teren needed.
Before he could get his hands back around the weapon, Teren had smashed his knee, and forced him to the ground. Grabbing the rifle, she twisted it and pulled it from his grasp. It landed a short distance away.
The guard tried to yell, but Teren cut off his airway with one hand. With his eyes bulging, the man wrapped one hand around her wrist, and swung at her with the other. She tried to block it, but was only partially successful, and he connected with the side of her head. It was just enough to distract her, and he managed to pry her hand loose and flip her body off of his.
Teren found herself with her back on the ground, and her own breathing slowly being cut off. The man above her was coughing and trying to get his breath back. Reaching up, Teren renewed her hold on his throat, wondering who would succumb first.
She didn’t have long to wonder.
Suddenly the weight was gone from her chest. Taking a huge gulp of air, she rolled to a crouch, and found Alex holding a gun on the guard. He was on his back, hands out at his sides, blood sliding down both sides of his face.
“You okay?” The question came to Teren as a whisper, and she could only nod.
Teren motioned towards the porch, and they got the dazed and bleeding man onto it. His eyes were glassy, and it was easy to see that his nose was broken.
“What did you do, Alex?” Teren whispered.
Alex shrugged. “I’m a kickboxer. I kicked him.”
Teren grinned.
She tapped the side of the man’s face, and spoke quietly in German. “Where’s Odbert?”
He blinked. “He’s in his study. Told us he wanted to be alone.”
“He sent you to watch for us?”
“No. That was Franz’s idea. He said we were to stop anyone trying to see Jurgen tonight.”
“Where’s the study?”
“First floor. It’s the only room, besides the front, that has a light on.”
“How many people in the house?”
“Three guards and Odbert. There’s one in the front, one upstairs, and me.”
Teren nodded. She had the answer she was looking for.
Drawing back her arm, she aimed a blow for the man’s head, but stopped when Alex touched her hand. She looked up at her partner, who held up a pair of handcuffs.
“I can always get another set,” she whispered. “We can gag him to keep him quiet.”
Teren nodded, and moved away, letting Alex restrain their prisoner. She was still trying to get her breath back anyway.
Alex found a handkerchief in the man’s pockets, and forced it into his mouth. Then she pulled his shirt up over his mough, and tied it across his mouth with a piece of cord. She made sure it was tight enough to stop him from yelling. Then she picked up his rifle, and emptied the magazine. Pocketing the shells, she laid the weapon across his lap, and joined her partner at the back door.
It wasn’t difficult to find the door to the study. As their captive had told them, it was the only room with a light on. Alex kept watch on the front of the hall, as Teren cautiously and slowly turned the knob and opened the door a fraction of an inch.
As she peeked inside, Teren saw a seated figure with his back to her. The silver haired man appeared to be watching the flames that crackled in the fireplace. Carefully, Teren opened the door a little wider. There was no sound, and the man did not stir.
Alex tapped her shoulder and she froze. From down the hall she could hear a voice raised, and when she glanced back, a figure passed by the entrance to the corridor. He appeared to be holding a conversation over the phone, and didn’t glance their way. Moving as quickly as she dared, Teren took a step into the room, and Alex followed her. The door was pushed quietly into place, and Teren turned the knob slowly so the latch wouldn’t click.
The room they were in had wood paneling, with an oak trim. There was a large stone fireplace on the wall opposite the door, and a roaring fire was filing the room with its heat. There was a comfortable looking desk several steps from the door, without a chair. A lamp on this desk illuminated half the room, while the fire chased the shadows from the other half.
The figure Teren had seen was still sitting peacefully in his chair. Alex noticed that it was, in fact, a wheelchair, which had been pulled up next to a short couch. Cautiously, the two of them made their way further into the room. Teren pulled her gun and was about to cock it, when the figure spoke.
“Good evening. I’ve been expecting you.”
Teren eased herself around in front of the chair, her gun pointed at the man. He didn’t move, merely watching quietly as Alex joined her friend.
“You knew we were coming?” Teren asked.
“Let’s just say I had a feeling.” He smiled. “I’m afraid I do not know your name. According to our Zurich friends, it was Fleming. Of course, another source reported it to me as Frau Olind.”
Alex’s eyes widened. If he knew the name Olind, he would know the name …
“Meinhard. I suppose you had him killed,” she said softly.
“No. If he is dead, it is not because of me.”
Teren snorted. “I find that hard to believe.”
“There was no reason to kill the man. At least I did not see any reason.”
“How did you find out about him?” Alex asked as she lowered herself to the couch.
“Keppelmann was a very nervous figure, and had been getting more so, even before your arrival. Because of that, he was under surveillance. When he appeared so pale and frightened after your visit, our friends in Zurich decided it would be good to follow you, even before they spoke to Keppelmann. They saw you meet with Meinhard, and tapped his office phone very early the next day. Your phone call to him, Frau Olind, was recorded.”
Keeping her gun steady, Teren also sat. It appeared this man wanted to talk to them, and while she didn’t understand why, she was beginning to trust that he wouldn’t suddenly call for the last remaining guard. But she kept the gun on him, just in case.
“Which was also how they found the hotel room. We were followed after the dinner with Meinhard.”
“Correct. However, our Zurich friends have limited manpower, and the two men who were to follow the two of you to the meeting, lost you. They found only you, Miss Reed. They never figured out where your tall friend was.”
“She was in the restaurant.”
Odbert smiled, and nodded. “I suspected as much. But I would not tell them that.” He leaned back in his chair. “Once you left the cafe, they knew you were headed back to your hotel, so they intended to arrive first, and wait for you. Unfortunately,” he turned his attention back to Teren, “they met with a very nasty accident. One of them was killed.”
Teren shrugged. “Better him than me.”
A gentle chuckle came from the old man. He leaned back in his chair, nodding. “Well, after that, they had no idea where you were going. We, of course, knew you would come here. But we did not know how or when. So, there have been guards watching for you, across the city. You were never spotted.”
“And then Gerd Heinrich came to see you.” Teren’s voice had lowered several notches.
“Yes. He wished to speak with me about church finances. I knew, and so did Franz, that he must have been in touch with you. He was here earlier today. I suppose you saw him?”
“I did. What did he tell you?”
“Nothing. As much as Franz tried to ask him about the source of his information, he revealed nothing. However,” he frowned, “I will tell you not to go back to your hotel tonight. The name of Andrea Reed was found, at three different hotels in the area. By the time you leave here, they will have checked all of them, and found which one is yours.”
“Why are you telling us this?” Teren demanded. “You know we’re here to break apart your operation. Why would you want to help us do that?”
The withered face took on a thoughtful look. “Because it is not my operation. Not anymore.” He shook his head. “When I began the Kirche des Heiligen Luther so long ago, I wanted it to be a place where people who had been displaced during the war, could find assistance. The money from the Swiss bank account allowed me to help many people begin new lives.”
“And helped many Nazis like yourself escape,” Alex added.
Odbert sighed, and nodded. “I did do that. Some were just afraid to stay once their Nazi past had been revealed, and others were listed as war criminals.” He looked at Alex. “But you must understand. We were young men when we became involved with the Fuehrer. Hitler made things better than they had been in a long time, and he promised even more. We were ready to follow him anywhere he led.” He stopped, his eyes becoming clouded. “But we were wrong. He was mad. And in the final few years, those of us who saw that, we prepared. I opened a Swiss account, and my friend Josef Kirchner would redirect certain monies into it. By the end of the war, there was a great deal of money waiting for me. But, for a short time, the SS assigned me as a concentration camp guard. Because of that, I was considered a war criminal. I escaped, but it took me a long time to reach Switzerland.”
“And there you created this new identity?” Teren asked.
“I did not create it, Josef did. Josef had slipped out of the Reich months before the war ended. He waited for me in Zurich, knowing that he could not touch the account without my being there. Neither of us could touch the money without the other. He had the account number, and it was my signature. So, when I finally got there, I withdrew a large amount and gave it to him. At the time, he was under an assumed name as well.”
Alex nodded. “That’s the name in the record that we couldn’t place.”
“Correct. He took the money and returned to Germany. Finally, I did the same. It was under Josef’s suggestion that I returned to the seminary, and became a minister. And it was with his help that I opened the doors of the church.”
Unable to sit anymore, Alex stood, shaking her head. “That money wasn’t yours. It should have been returned.”
“Returned to whom? The Jews? I’m sorry, Miss Reed, they were dead. And many of them were German Jews. I had to be quiet about it, but I did give several large donations to Jewish charities, anonymously. I was unaware, until my time in the camp, that the Jews were being so thoroughly annihilated. I had no understanding of it before then. By that time, it was too late.” He grimaced. “I requested a reassignment as soon as possible, even bribing several officers and accepting a position at the front, where I was injured. I would have done anything to get out of that hell!”
Alex stared at him. She took a step closer, and bent slightly to make him look at her. “So would my grandparents.” She straightened and turned away.
There was silence for several minutes. Teren had no idea whether to comfort Alex, or just shoot the man sitting in front of them. “If what you saw in the camp affected you so much, why did you let your church become a haven for neo-Nazis?”
“Because I was a fool. Each time, I heard only half the message. I heard that they wanted to change things. They wanted to save the Aryan race, which I believed in. I thought they wanted to bring about all the good things that were originally part of the Nazi teachings. Yes, there were good things in them,” he added when Alex turned to stare at him. “They became twisted, and evil in the end, but they started out with good intentions.” He dropped his eyes, staring into the fire. “I started out with good intentions.”
