Page 6 of The Last Safe Place

Into battle, Knut summoned his courage. If Bernd wasn’t interested in him, they could at least build a friendly rapport, especially since they worked in neighboring departments and would inevitably run into each other in the Bendlerblock.

“Glad it worked out,” Knut said by way of greeting. In their job, something could always come up at the last second: an important order arriving just before the day’s end, or a supervisor wanting something done by the next morning.

“A lot would have to happen to stop me showing up for this,” Bernd grinned.

“A war, for example?”

“We’re already in one. But a surrender might do it.”

Knut gasped, taken aback. For this statement alone, Bernd could be charged with defeatism and subversion. But Bernd just raised his eyebrow and smiled wryly.

“I like your way of thinking. Let’s go inside.” Knut had reserved a table in the corner where they couldn’t be overheard.

They hadn’t seen each other properly in almost a year, and yet it felt like it had been only yesterday.

Once they had ordered, Knut dived into conversation. “So why were you transferred to Berlin?”

“It wasn’t a disciplinary transfer, in case that’s what’s worrying you.” Bernd’s brown eyes sparkled with amusement.

“That hadn’t even occurred to me. I was just surprised because you said that you were going to Africa.”

“I was there, but then my brother fell in Tripoli a few months ago.” Bernd’s expression became grim. “I got home leave and spent a week with my sister at our country house in Brandenburg.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that.” Death had become so commonplace, there wasn’t much more to say. Furthermore, mourning the death of a loved one too strongly could get you charged with subversion. For a soldier, in particular, the official requirement was that their families should be proud of the heroic death in action to protect the nation. Profound grief was undesirable.

Nevertheless, Knut wished he could hold Bernd’s hand to express his sympathy, but he didn’t dare reach out.

“I suspect my father pulled some strings at my mother’s request. I was told to present myself at Major General Oster’s office, and he assigned me to Hans von Dohnanyi’s department, but you already know that.”

“Does your family know that Dohnanyi…”

“No.” Bernd shook his head, his lips a tight line. “My parents are upstanding Germans and good Nazis. And my sister’s only concern is her children.”

“Just like my sister, Carsta. Since she was recently awarded the Golden Mother’s Cross for her eighth child, she’s talked about nothing else.” Knut tilted his head. “You’ve undoubtedly heard of my eldest brother, Sturmbannführer Joseph Hesse, Heydrich’s right-hand man.”

Bernd’s eyes widened. “He’s your brother?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Knut was ashamed of Joseph, a fanatical Nazi, always at the forefront of any measures to enforce Hitler’s policies.

Bernd lowered his voice to a whisper. “You are not responsible for what your brother does.”

The compassion in Bernd’s eyes warmed Knut’s heart. After taking a few seconds to collect himself, he said, “Luckily, I’m not the only black sheep in the family. Officially, that’s my other sister, Edith, since she’s married to Julius Falkenstein.”

Bernd’s eyes widened again. Naturally, he was familiar with the name of the man who had once owned one of the largest banks in Germany. “TheJulius Falkenstein of Falkenstein Bank?”

“That’s the one.”

“Please tell me they’ve both emigrated.” Bernd seemed genuinely concerned, even though he knew neither Edith nor Julius personally. That alone made Knut’s heart beat faster.He was fed up with cold-hearted people who regarded Jews as vermin, unworthy of populating the earth.

“They have. It took long enough, but they finally got the last of the necessary papers almost two weeks ago.” Now that he had said it out loud for the first time, the tension in Knut’s jaw loosened. He felt a weight lift from his shoulders, allowing him to breathe freely again.

He hadn’t realized until this moment that he hadn’t actually believed that Edith was safe. Secretly, he hoped for some kind of sign from her, even though he knew it was next to impossible.

“Only two weeks ago? They left it to the last minute.” Bernd’s voice was barely audible. “A new decree came into force on October the twenty-third, prohibiting Jews from leaving the country.”

This time it was Knut’s turn to stare in wide-eyed astonishment. “I had no idea.”

“It wasn’t made public, to avoid panic. But the Gestapo was instructed not to issue new passports or exit permits, and the border guards have orders not to let anyone leave.”