little to remember him by.”
“Nonsense. Keep it.”
He examined the lighter again on the autobus. The thought that his father had handled it before his death sent shivers up and down his spine. Wilhelm Noack had gone to fight in the War in 1916. He lost his life in the Battle of the Somme. His body was never recovered. If this was his lighter why had he not taken it with him?
Chapter 21
October 1938
The following day when he arrived at work, ‘the bush’ Schnerpf was standing by Max’s desk clutching a bundle of requisition orders, his moustache twitching on his face like an eel on a hook.
“Where were you yesterday, Noack?”
“I took a day’s leave. I left a note on your desk, sir.”
“Did I not impress on you the urgency of the task in hand? Rebuilding the Chancellery must be the most important construction job ever undertaken in the Reich.”
“I have located most of the labor and nearly all the engineers for the Chancellery job, and I have compiled a list of 50 able-bodied men for the secret mission overseas. I left the paperwork on your desk.”
He wagged a finger as if admonishing a child. “You have been taking a lot of unscheduled leave recently. Is there something I should know about your private life?”
Max explained that he had been trying to obtain approval to marry.
“And do you have it?”
“I received it last week.”
His boss frowned. “I thought your girlfriend was Jewish.”
“No, sir, she’s Roman Catholic.”
Schnerpf handed him the requisitions, all duly stamped and signed. His mustache twitched. “When are you planning to get married?”
“Not until March at the earliest, sir.”
#
Anna tended the tables in the food court of the KaWeDe department store. Closing time was approaching. She had been on her feet all day. They ached, but still she maintained her good humor, her bright smile.
“You’re amazing,” said her friend, Ebba. “I don’t know how you do it. Don’t you ever get tired?”
Anna laughed. “Smiles cost nothing.”
Two smartly dressed young men came into the food court and took a table by the door. Anna gave them a few moments to read the menu. Then she went across to take their order. One of the men was heavy-set, overweight, the other was blond with well-defined musculature and deep blue eyes, wearing a modern double-breasted suit. She estimated his age at 22 or 23 – perhaps a year or two younger than Max.
They ordered coffee and Strudel pastries. She smiled at them.
As she was placing the food on the table the younger man held her wrist. “My name’s Jürgen. What’s your name, darling?” There was something unpleasant in the tone of his voice.
“Anna.” She gave him her blank smile, pulled her arm away, and hurried back behind the counter.
She spoke to Ebba. “Do you see those two men near the door?”
“The two in the Hugo Boss suits? What about them?”
“One of them made a pass at me.”
Ebba laughed. “Serves you right for smiling at everyone.”
The kitchen closed up shortly after that and the last few customers left. The two young men remained where they were.
Anna cleared their table. “The food court is closing now.”
“Where do you live?” said the younger man. “Can I walk you home?”
“No, thank you. That won’t be necessary.”
She was shaking, now. She found Ebba in the staff room. “Those two men haven’t gone. I’m sure they’re SS. I’m not leaving here until they go.”
Ebba took a look outside. “They’ve gone. The food court is empty.”
Anna left the department store by a rear door that evening, and took a circuitous route home.
Feeling vaguely guilty about what happened, she decided to say nothing to Max about the encounter.
#
When he arrived home from work, Max found Frau Greta sitting on the sofa sipping tea with Anna.
Anna waved a bundle of Reichsmarks in his face. “Frau Greta has returned our 100 Reichsmarks. Isn’t
“Nonsense. Keep it.”
He examined the lighter again on the autobus. The thought that his father had handled it before his death sent shivers up and down his spine. Wilhelm Noack had gone to fight in the War in 1916. He lost his life in the Battle of the Somme. His body was never recovered. If this was his lighter why had he not taken it with him?
Chapter 21
October 1938
The following day when he arrived at work, ‘the bush’ Schnerpf was standing by Max’s desk clutching a bundle of requisition orders, his moustache twitching on his face like an eel on a hook.
“Where were you yesterday, Noack?”
“I took a day’s leave. I left a note on your desk, sir.”
“Did I not impress on you the urgency of the task in hand? Rebuilding the Chancellery must be the most important construction job ever undertaken in the Reich.”
“I have located most of the labor and nearly all the engineers for the Chancellery job, and I have compiled a list of 50 able-bodied men for the secret mission overseas. I left the paperwork on your desk.”
He wagged a finger as if admonishing a child. “You have been taking a lot of unscheduled leave recently. Is there something I should know about your private life?”
Max explained that he had been trying to obtain approval to marry.
“And do you have it?”
“I received it last week.”
His boss frowned. “I thought your girlfriend was Jewish.”
“No, sir, she’s Roman Catholic.”
Schnerpf handed him the requisitions, all duly stamped and signed. His mustache twitched. “When are you planning to get married?”
“Not until March at the earliest, sir.”
#
Anna tended the tables in the food court of the KaWeDe department store. Closing time was approaching. She had been on her feet all day. They ached, but still she maintained her good humor, her bright smile.
“You’re amazing,” said her friend, Ebba. “I don’t know how you do it. Don’t you ever get tired?”
Anna laughed. “Smiles cost nothing.”
Two smartly dressed young men came into the food court and took a table by the door. Anna gave them a few moments to read the menu. Then she went across to take their order. One of the men was heavy-set, overweight, the other was blond with well-defined musculature and deep blue eyes, wearing a modern double-breasted suit. She estimated his age at 22 or 23 – perhaps a year or two younger than Max.
They ordered coffee and Strudel pastries. She smiled at them.
As she was placing the food on the table the younger man held her wrist. “My name’s Jürgen. What’s your name, darling?” There was something unpleasant in the tone of his voice.
“Anna.” She gave him her blank smile, pulled her arm away, and hurried back behind the counter.
She spoke to Ebba. “Do you see those two men near the door?”
“The two in the Hugo Boss suits? What about them?”
“One of them made a pass at me.”
Ebba laughed. “Serves you right for smiling at everyone.”
The kitchen closed up shortly after that and the last few customers left. The two young men remained where they were.
Anna cleared their table. “The food court is closing now.”
“Where do you live?” said the younger man. “Can I walk you home?”
“No, thank you. That won’t be necessary.”
She was shaking, now. She found Ebba in the staff room. “Those two men haven’t gone. I’m sure they’re SS. I’m not leaving here until they go.”
Ebba took a look outside. “They’ve gone. The food court is empty.”
Anna left the department store by a rear door that evening, and took a circuitous route home.
Feeling vaguely guilty about what happened, she decided to say nothing to Max about the encounter.
#
When he arrived home from work, Max found Frau Greta sitting on the sofa sipping tea with Anna.
Anna waved a bundle of Reichsmarks in his face. “Frau Greta has returned our 100 Reichsmarks. Isn’t
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