‘The first list you are looking for is that of pregnant Jewish women. It will have their name, address and due date, together with other known family members,’ explained Max. ‘Look for some sort of indication, a marker of some kind, singling out certain names.’
‘What does the marker represent?’ asked Clara.
‘Women who are to be relocated that week,’ said Max. He looked meaningfully at Clara.
She nodded. She had heard more and more about families, especially women and young babies, being relocated. Dawn raids on Jewish family homes and occupants being whisked away, never to return.
‘You need to find out where exactly the women are being moved to,’ said Karl, bringing her back from her thoughts. ‘And I will tell you something now, it’s not any new apartments.’
Clara frowned. ‘What is happening to them?’
Karl made the scoffing noise he had done earlier. ‘You really don’t know? How lucky for you.’
‘Karl, it is not Clara’s fault,’ said Max, his tone firm.
‘If you explain what it is, it might help me,’ said Clara. She wasn’t sure she liked Karl that much. Max seemed more reasonable. Maybe it was because she was British.
‘After the women are moved, they are never seen again.’ Karl’s hand balled into a fist as he spoke. ‘Not them. Not their babies.’
Clara looked from one man to the other and then back to Karl as understanding settled on her. ‘You?’ she said eventually, her voice barely more than a whisper. ‘You’ve lost someone?’
‘My sister,’ replied Karl. ‘She was taken a month ago. I don’t know where. I am trying to find her and all the other women who have disappeared.’
Clara shook her head. She thought of what the Rothsteins and Bauers had said about their neighbours disappearing. The authorities weren’t just targeting the Jewish community, it was more than that. ‘They are making pregnant Jewish women disappear?’ The question lodged in her throat.
‘You don’t believe us?’ demanded Karl. ‘We are not telling lies.’
‘No. It’s not that,’ protested Clara. ‘It’s just .?.?.’ She searched for the right word.
‘Barbaric,’ suggested Max.
Clara swallowed hard. ‘The babies? What happens to them?’
‘We can only guess.’ Max broke his gaze and lit another cigarette, his hand shook as he flicked his lighter. ‘We need to save as many as we can from that fate. We need to know where they’ve been taken. That is why you must find that information. Do you understand now?’ He rose to his feet abruptly, his chair scraping on the wooden floorboards. ‘Do you understand?’ he repeated, his voice rising.
‘Yes. Yes, I do,’ said Clara quickly. Up until now, Max had been calm and controlled. It frightened her to see him agitated. ‘I will do whatever I can to help.’
‘And you know what will happen to you if you are caught?’
She could only guess. If they were doing this to pregnant Jewish women, making them disappear, what would they do to her? An Englishwoman. A traitor in their eyes. Someone actively undermining their grotesque plans. She wouldn’t just disappear. They would make sure everyone knew what happened to those who defied them.
She lifted her chin. ‘I know it won’t be pleasant.’
Max gave a snort of laughter. ‘No, it won’t be pleasant at all.’ He breathed out a long sigh and sat back down.
‘You find the lists, and we shall make sure you and your husband are safe,’ said Karl.
‘You don’t need to threaten me,’ snapped Clara. She was still reeling at the thought of what was happening to the women and babies. ‘I am doing this because I want to. I cannot stand by and do nothing. I will get the information. You don’t have to worry about trusting me.’ She got to her feet. ‘Now, if you’d care to show me back to the main road so I can get a tram home, I’d be grateful. I don’t want to be any later and have to explain to my husband where I have been.’
Clara had only been home long enough to place the beef stew in the oven when she heard Friedrich’s key in the lock. As she greeted him, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes, shadows that had deepened over the past few weeks. His face was gaunt, drawn tight with fatigue. He smiled, kissed her and wrapped her in a familiar embrace, but she couldn’t ignore the invisible burden his shoulders were carrying.
She wished she could lift whatever it was from him. It hurt to see him like this – present, yet distant. She knew it must be to do with his work and the tensions across Europe.
The war existed in some sort of strange limbo. Germany had claimed victory over Poland. Earlier in the month, Hitler had given a speech offering peace to France and Britain, which had been rejected. A response that had surprised many. Now the entire country seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
Clara was sure Friedrich knew more, especially given his position as a logistics officer. She could tell by the way he sometimes stared out of the window, distracted by his thoughts. He would have access to the kind of details others could only speculate, things like supply movements, troop deployments. But he would never say. He’d want to protect her from that in the same way he always tried to protect her from everything, especially now.
When they sat down to eat a short time later, the aroma of the beef stew filling the air, Clara asked Friedrich about his day, like she normally would. She placed a warm bread roll on his plate, attempting to create an illusion of normalcy and to try to smooth the edges of unease with the comfort of routine.
