Page 40 of The Last Safe Place

“Yes, I thought so. What do you need?”

“I’ve been ordered to wear the star.” Eberhard handed him the letter with the Imperial Eagle letterhead.

Hesse scanned it briefly. “This is indeed extremely inconvenient. Especially now that the wheels are finally in motion.”

“I’m sure you understand this order is disastrous. Not for my own sake, but because I won’t have access to the Bendlerblock, or be able to deal with the authorities for my fellow travelers.”

Lieutenant Hesse raised his chin, the moment of dejection seemed to have passed. “Leave me to worry about that. I’ll get you an exemption immediately.”

“Thank you so much.” Eberhard gave a hint of a bow. “Not just for this. For everything you do for us. Each of us is well aware that this is not without risk to you.”

“It’s a task I was happy to adopt. Return on Friday afternoon. By then, I should have settled the matter with the Gestapo.”

Out on the street again, Eberhard thought about the tall, slender lieutenant, who was always so quiet and unobtrusive, and yet did so much to defy the criminal Nazi regime.

“Still waters run deep,” he murmured, resolving to do something kind for the lieutenant to show his gratitude.

20

A huge weight had fallen from Knut’s shoulders when Gestapo chief SS-Gruppenführer Müller had finally instructed his staff to issue exit permits and passports for the members of Operation Seven.

It pained him to know he had failed to include Edith and Julius in the operation. Sadly, the reasons he had explained to Herr Lange had been all too real. After being turned back by German guards at the Swiss border, the couple would immediately fall under suspicion. If that weren’t enough, his brother Joseph was known by name through half of Europe and Edith’s family connection with Joseph and Knut would never pass unnoticed. They would have endangered the other refugees.

That evening he’d arranged to meet Bernd for dinner. As usual, they arrived separately and would also leave separately, to give the air of an evening between colleagues. The secrecy weighed heavily on him and often made him doubt himself as well as his love for Bernd, just as he doubted his love for Edith because he didn’t acknowledge her publicly. He gave a deep sigh. Nobody understood his pangs of conscience, not even Bernd.

As he entered the restaurant, he saw that Bernd hadn’t yet arrived. It wasn’t at all like him to be late. Knut sat down at a freetable in the corner and waited. Five minutes passed until Bernd stepped through the revolving door.

Knut’s face lit up momentarily, before his smile disappeared once he noticed that Bernd was accompanied by a man in uniform.

“Good evening, Knut. This is Emil from the finance division. I hope you don’t mind me bringing him.” Bernd cast him an apologetic look.

“Not at all.” If Bernd had brought a colleague to their arranged dinner, he must have a good reason.

“Emil is to take over the financial side of Operation Seven, so I thought we could discuss the situation over an after-work beer.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Emil.” Knut stood up and shook the other’s hand.

“Thank you for letting me join. I’m new in Berlin, recently moved here from my posting in Turkey and don’t know anyone yet.” Emil was in his mid-thirties, small, wiry and wore glasses with immensely thick lenses.

“Not at all. A friendly colleague is always welcome.” Knut made pains to look cheerful, even if he was inwardly grinding his teeth. He would have preferred to throw Emil, no matter how friendly or helpful he might be, straight out into the street.

“Emil is an expert in forensic financial analysis. He’ll take care of the material details of the operation,” Bernd explained once they had sat down.

Making the best of the situation, Knut struck up conversation with the financial expert. “Where did you train in finance?”

Emil looked around cautiously before explaining in a low voice, “Well, it’s no secret that I did a banking apprenticeship before the war. After that, I spent some time in Zurich before taking up a job in Munich in the foreign exchange departmentof Falkenstein Bank. Eventually, I was promoted to department manager.”

Knut almost fell off his chair.

“It seems you’re well equipped for your current task.” Knut judged it better to not mention that the Falkenstein Bank had belonged to his brother-in-law Julius Falkenstein before its Aryanization.

“Herr Falkenstein was a strict taskmaster and there’s nothing he doesn’t know about foreign exchange transactions.” Flustered, Emil pushed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. “I mean, well, that was before the war. I didn’t mean to say that Jews–”

“It’s all right,” Bernd interrupted him.

Their conversation paused while the waitress took their order. Once she had left, Emil continued. “I was recently drafted into the operation. My superior has indicated that there may be serious obstacles.”

Having a date in mind, Knut had selected a table where they couldn’t be overheard, which came to his advantage now. “I believe the problem has been solved. After a direct order from the Führer to use Jews as agents, the wheels have finally been set in motion at the Gestapo.”