Clara scooted to the end of the sofa. ‘What’s wrong, Marie?’ she asked gently.
Marie took a big sip of her drink, before looking at Clara. ‘There has been talk around the hospital of a midwife helping the pregnant Jewish women.’
Clara kept her face expressionless, but her heart beat a little harder. ‘What sort of talk?’
Marie shrugged. ‘Just that the women who can no longer seek help from the hospital are now asking a midwife to visit them.’
‘I suppose they need some sort of help if they can’t get it at any medical facility,’ replied Clara, careful to choose her words. She was on edge as to where this conversation was leading. Marie was her friend, but she was also German and at the end of the day, as Clara had experienced, nationality was seemingly more important than friendship to some.
‘No one knows who she is,’ said Marie.
‘Does anyone suspect who she is?’
‘No. All they know is that she is called the Angel of Life among the Jewish community.’
‘How do they know that?’ Now Clara’s heart really was hammering away.
‘I’m not sure. Maybe someone said something under questioning or maybe someone reported back to the Germans.’
‘Why would someone do that when the midwife is just trying to help?’ Clara’s question came out more forcefully than she intended.
‘Because people are frightened. They exchange knowledge for benefits, like food, medicine or just to save their own skin.’ Marie took another sip of her drink, finishing the contents on a further gulp. ‘You need to be careful.’ Her words were soft, almost a whisper.
Clara looked at her friend. ‘Why do you say that? We all need to be careful.’
Marie nodded. ‘I know,’ she said. She reached her hand over and held Clara’s. ‘I know it’s you. I know you are the Angel of Life. It can only be you.’
Clara shook her head. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘You can trust me,’ said Marie. ‘You have my word.’
Again, Clara denied it. ‘We shouldn’t be having this conversation.’
Marie held her grip on Clara’s hand. ‘I promise, you can trust me. I want to help. I haven’t said a word to anyone else. What is happening at the hospital is wrong. It is against every ethic that I believe in. I see too many Jewish women being turned away, denied help, help that could save their lives and the lives of their unborn child. I cannot stand by and let that just happen.’
Clara looked intently at her friend. Everything she said resonated with Clara. Didn’t she have the same conversation with Friedrich? Telling him that now she knew, she couldn’t conveniently forget it.
‘Please tell me you mean that,’ she whispered.
‘I promise on the life of my mother,’ said Marie without hesitation. ‘I want to help.’ From her pocket she took a folded sheet of paper and placed it on the coffee table. ‘I hope you will take this as my proof of what I say.’
‘What is it?’ Clara picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it. A list of three names and addresses, followed by a date.
‘When their babies are due,’ said Marie.
Something in Clara’s heart, or in the pit of her stomach, or in her soul, she didn’t know where, led her to believe her friend. Marie wouldn’t lie to her. She wouldn’t be setting a trap. Marie had even come to the apartment that day Clara was sacked. She’d provided Clara with more information about Hannah Rothstein. She took a deep breath, before finally speaking. ‘In what way can you help?’
‘I can supply you with the names and addresses of Jewish women who are denied medical care and advice from the Charité. Women who are desperate with nowhere to turn. I can get medical supplies from the hospital. I can help in the community. I will do whatever I can to help.’
‘You will be putting yourself in grave danger,’ said Clara.
‘I know. I have thought of all that. I would be foolhardy to not be scared but I would also be heartless to not help women who need the help. I do not want to standby and do nothing.’
‘What made you come to this conclusion?’ asked Clara. There was something different about her friend that she hadn’t been able to pinpoint until now. There was a sadness in her eyes.
‘Yesterday, a Jewish woman came to the hospital. She was in labour. She was only thirty-four weeks pregnant. She was turned away. She begged and begged for help. The security removed her from the hospital. Even when she was doubled over in pain no one helped her.’
‘What happened to her?’
