“He died.”I quickly read the first paragraph.“Two months ago.He was ninety-seven years old.”
“Wow.Good for him.”Dad steps closer to read over my shoulder.“It says he was Joseph Feinster Jr.”
That’s right.“The one who wants to buy the place is the third, not junior.”I read on.“It says here he leaves behind a son, same name.”
“So, Joe the Third wants to buy the place?”Dad steps back and moves to sit down.
“Apparently.”I select another link and I must look shocked because Dad stands up again.“Junior was a World War II veteran.”
“What?”My father steps behind me and begins to read over my shoulder.
I point to the article.“The dead guy fought in World War II.”
“Mm-hmm.”Dad’s looking at my computer again.
As I read more, it becomes more and more interesting.“Listen to this, Dad.”Clearing my throat, I read:
“Joseph Feinster Junior of Dayton, Ohio, was found not guilty of war crimes related to suspicion of looting while serving in Germany.”
“Looting?What he’d take?”
“Apparently, he was suspected of stealing a treasure.”
“A treasure?From where?What kind of treasure?”
I giggle because my father is now leaning over me so far, his ear is next to my ear.I turn the computer around and point to the chair next to me.“Sit.We can read more about it together.”
He does.And what we discover is fascinating.It’s a tale of a young American soldier who, after V-E Day in May of 1945, was assigned the job of searching for German soldiers who fled and went into hiding after the Americans invaded Germany.With the help of a German POW who spoke some English, he and Feinster searched in and around Schneeberg, Germany.
“According to the German soldier who helped Feinster, many soldiers used caves as hideouts, so in the course of their search, the duo came upon a treasure hidden in one of those caves.Feinster promised half of the treasure to the German soldier if he kept the discovery quiet.However, by the time the German soldier was released by the US military, Feinster was long gone—back to the States.”
Dad has stopped trying to read the computer screen.Instead, he’s leaning in closer to me as I read aloud.
“Then, the German guy ended up back in the United States because he told the US Army about Feinster.The government wanted him as their star witness against Junior.”
We read on until my dad says, shocked, “He wasn’t convicted?”My dad is completely engrossed in the story.I’ve got to admit, I am too.
Shaking my head, I read on.“Feinster’s lawyer convinced the jury that the German soldier made the whole thing up so he could get a free ride to the United States.”
“And they believed him?”
“Apparently.”
“Makes sense.”Dad nods.“Nobody trusted the Germans after all that.”
The next morning, I’m sitting in Bella’s shop recounting the entire tale again.“According to the German man, no one but the two of them actually saw the treasure.No other US person did, anyway.They had to take the word of a German soldier, but Feinster’s lawyer speculated that this particular German soldier was involved in heinous atrocities during the war and argued he was only trying to save his own skin.”
“Speculated?”
“That’s what it said.”
“Did any of the articles reveal anything about this treasure?Was it money?Art?”
I shake my head.“Nothing I’ve read so far described what it was, but they believe it was probably worth millions today.The German soldier thought it was mostly old jewelry, rings, and things of that nature.”I look down at my ringless hand and frown.
I can’t think about ringless fingers, so I keep talking.“Oh, and one recent article says that before the war, Feinster Junior was broke.That he sold shoes before he enlisted.”
“And after?”Bella is so into this story, she’s biting her nails.
