Page 60 of The Last Safe Place

She knew exactly one person by the name of Berenike: her sister. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Maria was trying to warn her.

If Leonore still needed an incentive to fear deportation, she now held the evidence in her hands in black and white. Whoever got on one of those trains was as good as dead.

Probably not immediately, since the Nazis would be sure to squeeze every last drop of labor out of a person before throwing them aside like a wrung-out rag.

No, Leonore truly felt no need to follow her sister Berenike to death. With every passing day she remained in Berlin, her longing for her departure grew.

The next morning, Leonore got up extra early and took the S-Bahn to Michaela, who lived on the outskirts of Berlin.

Michaela lived in a pretty, residential area. Thanks to her privileged marriage to an Aryan, she hadn’t been forced to move to a Jewish quarter.

Leonore rang the bell. Michaela must have been waiting behind the door, since it opened barely a second later. “Herr Lange told me you’d come to fetch me. But…” Michaela’s gaze fell to the spot where Leonore’s yellow star should be. “…Come in.” In the hallway she asked, “Where’s your star?”

Leonore rolled her eyes. The doctor could be really naive at times. “I took it off, otherwise I’m not allowed to take the S-Bahn.”

“You’re—” whatever she was about to say was drowned by the sound of thundering footsteps, followed by the appearance of her two daughters. “Mother, why can’t we come with you?”

“Good morning, you two,” Leonore greeted them.

“Because you’re better off at home. Besides, it’s a very long way, and you’d never make it in time,” explained Michaela.

“Why are you allowed to take the S-Bahn and we’re not?” Ilse whined.

“Because your mother has a special permit.” Turning to Michaela, Leonore asked, “Ready? We don’t want to be late, otherwise we might miss our own emigration.”

“Don’t tempt fate.” Michaela rapped her knuckle against the wooden door jamb, making Leonore laugh.

“I thought you studied medicine? And yet you believe in superstitious hocus-pocus?”

“Lately, I’ve been grasping at every straw, even if it’s a superstition.” Michaela turned to her daughters. “Don’t go out, and don’t let anyone in while I’m gone. If the Gestapo knocks, hide in the garden shed.”

Eva rolled her eyes. “As if they won’t find us there.”

“You’re not registered here, so they’ll only be searching for me.”

“Now come on.” Leonore pulled her friend toward the door. “Nobody will show up.”

On the way to the S-Bahn, Michaela’s pace slowed. “We have to walk. My permit for public transport expired last week.”

“And you’re only telling me this now?” Leonore groaned.

“I told Herr Lange. I thought you must have gotten us transport.”

Leonore was no longer listening. She glanced at her watch. “There’s no time for that now, or we’ll be late. You’ll have to take that star off, so we can take the S-Bahn.”

Michaela turned pale. “That’s prohibited! What if we get caught?”

“I’ve never been caught.” Leonore shrugged. “If we do, we’ll talk our way out of it somehow. You’ve got your letter of protection from the Abwehr with you, haven’t you?”

“Always, but that won’t help us. Besides, I can’t just take the star off, it’s sewn firmly on. How on earth did you manage to get yours off?”

“Snap fasteners,” Leonore grinned. An idea occurred to her. “Do you still have your permit for the S-Bahn?”

“I think so.” Michaela dug into her purse and fished out a piece of paper. “Here it is, but as I said, a letter arrived last week stating the permit is no longer valid.”

“Let me see it.” Leonore inspected the special permit. “There’s no expiration date on it.”

“So?”