Page 48 of Winter’s End

Evi paused. “Illegally, then. Surely the Resistance leaders have their own stash of firearms.”

Zoe’s eyebrows shot up.

“I know they do, because I help to procure them. I think it is only fair to see that I am able to protect myself.”

Zoe looked at her. She poured more tea. “Drink this while it is hot, Evi…I will take your request to Daan.”

PART THREE

Haarlem, the Netherlands

January 1945

ZOE

There were no patients scheduled at thekliniekon this third day of January, and Zoe expected there would be few in the wake of the German crackdown.

She sat at her desk updating files, wondering how long the petkliniekcould survive without a steady, if diminishing, stream of income.

Already, they had had to let Lise go, and only days before Christmas. Daan had been heartbroken given the season, but Zoe had agreed to a cut in pay, and she knew that Daan had not had taken a salary for weeks.

She looked at the clock. It was after ten. Unusual for Daan to be this late. She busied herself reviewing professional dissertations that had been piling up for months – the first one dull enough to have her on the edge of nodding off.

She was sitting at the desk in a half-wakeful state, lulled by the rhythmic ticking of the clock, when the outer door crashed open.

“They’ve taken him!”

Zoe jumped up, her stupor shattered, recognizing the voice of Daan’s wife. She ran to the outer office.

Ilke’s face was white with fright, her blonde hair askew, her coat opened over a blue flannel nightgown.

“They beat down the door, Zoe. They dragged him away!” She clutched at Zoe’s white coat.

Zoe blinked, grabbed for Ilke’s hands, tried to lead her to a seat. But Ilke was too distraught to follow.

“They dragged him out of the door, Zoe, two big Gestapo bruisers. They never even told us why, just hauled him off without saying a word – hauled him down the stairs like a sack of laundry…”

“Lieve god,” Zoe murmured, heartbeat thrumming. “Please, Ilke, sit.”

Ilke burst into tears and folded into herself. Zoe led her to a chair.

“Daan tried to reason with them,” Ilke wailed. “He tried, but the beasts would not listen.”

Zoe sat in the chair next to Ilke, holding her shaking hands. “When did this happen, Ilke?”

“I cannot be certain…half an hour ago, perhaps…” Ilke drew a shuddering breath, her lovely blue eyes red-rimmed. “We were sitting at the breakfast table, drinking tea. Daan was preparing to go to work…”

She closed her eyes, sat back in her seat. “Lieve god, will I see him again…?”

Zoe wanted to assure her that she would, but the thought rang hollow, even to her. In her heart, she feared Dan’s involvement in the train blast had put him in the line of fire. She panicked once again about what might have been in the shoulder bag the Nazis had wrested from her at the checkpoint.

“Ilke, let me talk to Pieter. Perhaps he can learn where they are holding him…perhaps there is something we can do…”

“What, Zoe?”

“I do not know…a trade, perhaps…something the Germans may want in exchange for Daan’s return…”

Ilke’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Zoe, do you think so?”