was watching too, but his eyes were softer, kinder perhaps. But Julia told herself not to be fooled.
He touched the lapel of the military jacket he wore. “By now you will have realized, Madame Bernard, that we are not, as we appear, French gendarme officers.”
“You’re Germans,” Julia answered, her voice wavering slightly. “I heard you speak when your friend pushed me into the car.”
“I’m sorry if you were hurt,” the German said, his eyes flicking for a moment to the man behind Julia. “I have no wish to hurt a woman; I have no particular wish to hurt anyone.”
Outside, the dog continued to bark.
“My name is Lau, Hauptmann Kurt Lau,” the officer said, frowning and glancing towards the window. “I’m here to escort you and your husband back to Germany as quickly as possible. Where is he, Madame Bernard?”
Julia swallowed. “I told you before, he’s in Perpignan, visiting an old friend.”
“And the name of this friend?”
“I don’t know.”
Lau raised his eyebrows. “An old friend, but you don’t know his name?”
“He’s my husband’s friend, not mine. They were at university together, I think.”
“Ah, you think.”
Julia said nothing.
“And when will your husband return, Madame Bernard?”
“I don’t know. Three days; four, perhaps. He didn’t say for certain.”
Lau continued to stare at Julia, his eyes unblinking. “Madame Bernard, I said I have no wish to hurt you, and that’s perfectly true. None of my men would choose to harm you, either.” He looked briefly at Erich Steidle, who stood like a statue behind Julia. “But my colleague is skilled in interrogation techniques, some of them not very pleasant. I suggest that for your own good you stop lying now and tell me exactly where your husband is.”
Julia’s blood froze. For a moment she was ready to burst into tears and beg the German not to hurt her. But she sucked in a halting breath and spoke bravely. “As I said before, I don’t know exactly where my husband is.”
The radio operator had sent a simple message to base. There was an unexpected slight delay in the mission. The pick-up for the return flight could not go ahead tonight.
Lau was irritated but calm; he wouldn’t allow himself to become angry. Anger was not good or useful in a soldier. It affected clear thinking and decision-making, and Lau needed to think clearly and make firm decisions.
Once the radio transmitter was shut down, Lau sent the operator outside to join two more of his men who were keeping watch for unexpected visitors. The sixth member of the team was back at the Bernards’ house in Bélesta, waiting.
Lau and Steidle were in the kitchen smoking strong cigarettes.
The officer took a long drag on his cigarette and frowned. The barking dog was only increasing his irritation. “Where are the twins?” he asked gruffly.
“Cutting down trees,” Steidle told him with a shrug of his shoulders. “Or chopping logs, or whatever it is they do.”
“Why don’t they take that animal with them?”
“They say it’s meant to warn them if strangers turn up when they’re away from the yard. The sound of barking travels for miles.”
Lau sighed. “I’ve noticed.”
“Do you believe the woman, sir?”
Lau had given Julia time to think but warned her that she didn’t have long.
“Of course not. Do you?”
Steidle shook his head. “Shall I question her?”
“Not yet. If she’s harmed, her husband is far less likely to cooperate when we do track him down.”
“Where do you think he is, sir?”
“Not in Perpignan, for sure. He’s close. Maybe he did go visiting, but only overnight. He’ll be back.”
“Should I put another man in the house?”
Lau nodded. “When we relieve Werner. He can cope if Bernard returns before then.”
“They won’t be in gendarme uniforms, sir. Unless we give them ours.”
“No, the uniforms will become a liability if we’re seen in them too often. The locals will start asking
He touched the lapel of the military jacket he wore. “By now you will have realized, Madame Bernard, that we are not, as we appear, French gendarme officers.”
“You’re Germans,” Julia answered, her voice wavering slightly. “I heard you speak when your friend pushed me into the car.”
“I’m sorry if you were hurt,” the German said, his eyes flicking for a moment to the man behind Julia. “I have no wish to hurt a woman; I have no particular wish to hurt anyone.”
Outside, the dog continued to bark.
“My name is Lau, Hauptmann Kurt Lau,” the officer said, frowning and glancing towards the window. “I’m here to escort you and your husband back to Germany as quickly as possible. Where is he, Madame Bernard?”
Julia swallowed. “I told you before, he’s in Perpignan, visiting an old friend.”
“And the name of this friend?”
“I don’t know.”
Lau raised his eyebrows. “An old friend, but you don’t know his name?”
“He’s my husband’s friend, not mine. They were at university together, I think.”
“Ah, you think.”
Julia said nothing.
“And when will your husband return, Madame Bernard?”
“I don’t know. Three days; four, perhaps. He didn’t say for certain.”
Lau continued to stare at Julia, his eyes unblinking. “Madame Bernard, I said I have no wish to hurt you, and that’s perfectly true. None of my men would choose to harm you, either.” He looked briefly at Erich Steidle, who stood like a statue behind Julia. “But my colleague is skilled in interrogation techniques, some of them not very pleasant. I suggest that for your own good you stop lying now and tell me exactly where your husband is.”
Julia’s blood froze. For a moment she was ready to burst into tears and beg the German not to hurt her. But she sucked in a halting breath and spoke bravely. “As I said before, I don’t know exactly where my husband is.”
The radio operator had sent a simple message to base. There was an unexpected slight delay in the mission. The pick-up for the return flight could not go ahead tonight.
Lau was irritated but calm; he wouldn’t allow himself to become angry. Anger was not good or useful in a soldier. It affected clear thinking and decision-making, and Lau needed to think clearly and make firm decisions.
Once the radio transmitter was shut down, Lau sent the operator outside to join two more of his men who were keeping watch for unexpected visitors. The sixth member of the team was back at the Bernards’ house in Bélesta, waiting.
Lau and Steidle were in the kitchen smoking strong cigarettes.
The officer took a long drag on his cigarette and frowned. The barking dog was only increasing his irritation. “Where are the twins?” he asked gruffly.
“Cutting down trees,” Steidle told him with a shrug of his shoulders. “Or chopping logs, or whatever it is they do.”
“Why don’t they take that animal with them?”
“They say it’s meant to warn them if strangers turn up when they’re away from the yard. The sound of barking travels for miles.”
Lau sighed. “I’ve noticed.”
“Do you believe the woman, sir?”
Lau had given Julia time to think but warned her that she didn’t have long.
“Of course not. Do you?”
Steidle shook his head. “Shall I question her?”
“Not yet. If she’s harmed, her husband is far less likely to cooperate when we do track him down.”
“Where do you think he is, sir?”
“Not in Perpignan, for sure. He’s close. Maybe he did go visiting, but only overnight. He’ll be back.”
“Should I put another man in the house?”
Lau nodded. “When we relieve Werner. He can cope if Bernard returns before then.”
“They won’t be in gendarme uniforms, sir. Unless we give them ours.”
“No, the uniforms will become a liability if we’re seen in them too often. The locals will start asking
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