“Hank, this is what I want you to do.” Captain Stein stepped
closer and looked Hank squarely in the eyes with a very
serious look, as if to say, this is damn important to me, so
listen carefully and do what I tell you to do. He had Hank’s
attention anyway with everything he revealed without Hank
making any effort to find out for himself. All this
information was just ‘falling into his lap’.
“Yes, sir. What can I do?” Hank was anxious to know what
Stein had in mind for him to do.
“I want you to meet with the girl, Roberta. Get to know her
first; don’t get in too much of a hurry. We don’t want to
spook her into keeping her mouth shut. Use your friendship
with Max to get her confidence; she’ll want to know
everything about him. Use that to find out what you can
about how much she knew or Max knew about what Schoellkopf
was doing. Find out who he was talking with and meeting
with. They should know who was coming to the house. She
probably knows what they did with the records from his
office. We need everything, every scrap. Get any clue you
might be able to schmooze out of her that could help us find
the bastards who are still on the loose out there.”
Hank was dumbfounded—speechless—couldn’t contain his angst.
He felt the heat rising on his skin and knew he was turning
a bright red. He felt like he had unexpectedly been caught
in a devious plot—couldn’t run forward or backward—couldn’t
do anything to get out of the plight thrust upon him.
“What’s the matter, Hank, you look like you just saw a
ghost?”
“Ah, ahhh, nothing, sir. Ah…I…ah, just never imagined I
would be doing this kind of thing. You caught me off guard.
All I ever wanted was to be a farmer. I never in a million
years thought I would be chasing criminals in Germany. I
don’t know the first thing about this kind of work.”
“You’ll do fine, Hank. I saw how you befriended Max and that
makes you uniquely prepared to meet with his sister; his
twin sister no less. You’re just looking for information.
Get to know her; gain her trust. You are a good man, Hank,
just be yourself. At any rate, none of us chose to be where
we are now, but we have to do what we have to do, and this
is what our country wants us to do right now. I know how
much you love America, and I know you’ll get this job done
for all of us. Now, pull yourself together, man, and get to
work. Go see her right now.”
Hank silently chaffed at the sound of being called a “good
man”, which he certainly wasn’t feeling at the moment. He
was trapped in his own plot, thinking, Why in the hell did I
ever agree to meet with Oliver and Max. Now look at the fix
I’m in. I should have let well enough alone and never seen
them again. Gain her trust? What about Max’s trust? Hank
felt dirty and didn’t see his way out of his mess, so he did
the only thing he could think to do in the moment.
“Ok, if that’s what you think I should do, then that’s what
I’ll do.”
“Those are my orders, Corporal.”
“Yes, sir.”
The ride out to the Displaced Persons Camp, the DPC, wasn’t
nearly as long as Hank would have liked. He needed time to
think, but within minutes, the Army Jeep pulled up in front
of the impoundment surrounded by a tall wire fence with
barbed wire strung along the top. He showed his
identification papers and they drove into the compound. Max
had a sick feeling in his stomach and his hope that
something would happen to keep his meeting with Roberta from
happening was fading fast. He had no alternative but to see
his job through. He felt like he was losing his integrity—
felt ashamed.
The detained SS Officers and those related to them were
being held apart from the displaced persons, the officers in
one row of former Army barracks and the women and children
in separate barracks, divided by another wire fence. His
meeting with Roberta had been arranged in a small building
nearby that was formerly used as an office for the commander
of the former German Army facility.
The guard escorted Hank into the building where Roberta was
waiting in a small interrogation room in the rear.
“I’ll lock the door behind you. Knock when you are
finished.” The guard instructed as Max entered the room.
Roberta sat on a straight backed wooden chair at a small
table in the center of the room. The late morning sun
streaked through the barred window at the rear casting its
golden glow across the floor and onto the black prison gown
she wore, forming the image of the bars from the window. It
struck Hank as a very sad scene. He saw Roberta as a victim
caught up in an evil situation. Hank was more excited than
he even imagined he would be—his breathing elevated and
everything around him seemed to disappear except the vision
of Roberta seated with her head down, eyes fixed blankly on
the table. He was still uncertain how he would begin, and
awkwardly pulled his chair out and sat down without
speaking, quietly looking at her as she sat still with her
head hanging down—sadly, he thought. The sight of her and
the sadness evoked a flow of empathy in him. He decided to
sit quietly without speaking and wait for her.
Roberta didn’t move. Hank was struck by how small she was,
much smaller than Max, but with the same dark brown hair,
almost black. Her skin was silky smooth and her hands were
so tiny and looked so innocent. Hank realized he hadn’t
looked at a woman seriously, really looked at a woman since
he left Wisconsin. It had been four months. He was enjoying
their silence.
After what seemed to Hank a very long time, Roberta slowly
raised her head, revealing the dampness of tears on her
cheeks; she had been crying for a very long time. Then she
raised her sad silver-blue-green eyes to meet his. He was
startled at how beautiful she was and her look seemed to
penetrate right through him as if she could see all the way
to his heart. He was momentarily mesmerized; the golden glow
of the sun seemed to shimmer, and his heart beat faster—he
had not expected this. It took a few moments before he
realized they had not spoken. He felt awkward.
“Hello, my name is Hank.”
“Do you know who I am?” She quietly intoned just those few
words, but they were music in his ears, like the wind
blowing gently through the pines atop the bluffs at home.
They beckoned him, made him feel warm.
“Yes, Roberta.”
“Then you know why I am here?’
“Yes, I do.”
“Are you going to help me?”
“Well, I don’t know?” Hank was taken aback. He didn’t expect
her to ask for his help, but deep inside he knew that’s what
he wanted to do. It was his natural instinct to help. He had
no idea what she had been told of his visit. “What do you
think I can help you with?”
“They broke into my home and took me away. I have not done
anything wrong. I am innocent. I had no idea what my father
was doing in the SS. I only know that he is a very generous
and kind man who is fair and just. Why have you imprisoned
me?” Roberta spoke pitifully from her broken heart. It was
obvious she was suffering greatly in her circumstances. “Are
you here to interrogate me too? Like the others? Do you want
to force me to say things that are not true? Should I tell
you lies so you will leave me alone? They told me my father
is dead, that he killed himself that he didn’t really care
about me. How could they be so cruel? Why? Why? Why?”
Roberta began sobbing uncontrollably, and Hank felt the full
emotional burden of her pain, reacting how he would to any
person in need; he reached his arm around her shoulders and
comforted her.
“It’s OK. It’s OK. I understand. Go ahead and cry. I don’t
mind. There, there.” Hank was drawn to her as if by a
spiritual force, not a magical or religious experience, but
a feeling he understood her and felt her pain intensely.
It was several minutes before Roberta could compose herself.
Hank withdrew his arm somewhat reluctantly. She felt really
good to him.
“No, Roberta, I am not here to interrogate you. I’m not
going to badger you, threaten you, or abuse you in any way.
I am very sorry about your father. I’m sure he was a very
good man and he loved you very much. I need to get to know
you better so I can understand how I can help you. There is
nothing I would like better than for you to be able to get
out of here and go home. This war has been miserable for all
of us.”
“Home? Home? I have no home. My home in Munich was given to
the Nazi’s. The British have taken my home here in Hamburg.
My mother is dead, now they tell me my father is dead, and
my brother was taken prisoner by you Americans and I don’t
know if he is alive or dead! I have nothing, nothing, and no
one!”
Hank was startled. It was enough that Roberta began sobbing
again, but he was surprised to learn she had not accepted
that her father was dead, and she didn’t know about Max
either. Hank felt an incredible sadness for her, but he
thought better of telling her that Max was alive and he knew
where Max was, and that Max was looking for her. These were
things he could use at the right time to get Roberta to
cooperate and maybe even to forge a friendship. He would
need time to decide how to proceed, and just when to tell
her these things. He needed to get out of there for the time
being and come back prepared the next day. At that moment
his head and his heart were at odds with each other. He
needed time to get his emotions sorted out, and didn’t know
for sure what he wanted for himself. The words his father
spoke to him the last night they were together rang in his
ears… sometimes your special moments will grab you
unexpectedly. No matter how they come, you have to be ready.
Hank wondered if this was such a moment. His heart seemed to
be immersed in ecstasy, but his head was pulling him back—
trying to discern the wisdom of his father’s words. The
moment and its illumination necessarily had to pass, but the
conviction it etched in his heart would remain forever.
Hank knew Captain Stein would be anxious to hear how his
meeting went, so he was prepared with a very positive
report, telling the Captain that it went very well; he had
established a great rapport and formed the beginning of a
friendship that surely would yield good results. It would
just take more time. He didn’t want to push too hard. Stein
thought that was great, just what he had thought would be
the best approach himself. He knew it would take a little
time.
Sleep never really came for Hank that night. Every time he
dozed off he saw Roberta looking at him with those big
beautiful eyes, hair flowing in the breeze and a smile on
her lips that melted his heart. He tossed and turned, dozed
off again, and was awakened time and again by his vision of
Roberta. His visions were interrupted with his confusion
about what or when to talk with Roberta about her father and
Max—then, of course, there was Max, and Oliver, who were
anxious to hear from him about Roberta the next evening.
Hank was in a mess.
Toward the early morning, he gave up trying to sleep. He lay
in his bunk wrestling his anxiety about how he would
approach Roberta to get information that would satisfy
Stein. He was in a quandary over forces pulling him in
opposing directions. He didn’t believe Roberta was guilty of
doing anything to support the Nazi’s and he didn’t think she
knew anything about what her father was doing, but he was
under pressure to come up with clues. The opposing force was
more compelling— he thought he might be in love for the very
first time. Whatever he chose to do, he would follow his
heart.
The first thing the next morning, he left for the prison
camp, arriving early. He asked for Roberta to be summoned
and sat nervously at the table for what seemed a very long
time. His heart leaped when he heard footsteps on the wooden
floor and rose to face the door, not sure if she would be
happy to see him again, but hoping she would. She stood just
inside the door with her head tilted toward the floor until
the guard closed the door behind her and slid the lock in
place with a heavy clunk.
When she raised her head Hank captured the image he would
remember all his life. Roberta’s eyes sparkled in a way he
had never seen eyes sparkle, the smile on her lips stretched
wide, she lighted up the room like sunshine, and she
vanquished any reservation that remained. She really was
happy to see him! And, she was so beautiful. He was in love.
He had the sensation of having no weight, all the concerns
of his life evaporated, nothing else mattered.
His first impulse was to rush toward her, wrap her in his
arms and caress her, but he hesitated, thinking it may not
be what he hoped. At that first movement, Roberta leaped
forward into his arms. He felt the brush of her hair and the
exquisite softness of her cheek on his as her arms stretched
up to squeeze his neck and he leaned to fold her into his
arms. The warmth of her body pressed firmly against him
brought a surge of emotion he didn’t know could be so
strong. He longed to kiss her lips, but held her tightly,
her head pressed against his neck and shoulder, and felt her
body gently throbbing as her warm tears of joy wet his neck
and cheek. It had been so long since he felt such intimacy.
“Roberta, you feel the same way I do don’t you?
“Oh, Hank, It has been so long since anyone cared how I
feel; so long since I have felt anyone so sensitive, who
cared about me. I thought I would never feel this way about
anyone! I feel like we have known each other a very long
time, well, since forever.”
“I feel the same way!” Hank was giddy, as excited as a young
high school boy at his first prom with the most beautiful
girl he had ever seen. Then he realized there was something
he had to tell her that he must say right away.
“Roberta, I have good news for you?”
Roberta stood back and looked up at Hank with a look Hank
understood. She wanted good news, she was desperate for good
news. She couldn’t speak, her expression said, tell me…tell
me, now!
“Max is alive!”
Hank caught Roberta as her legs buckled under her, falling
into his arms as she wept with joy. Once again she was
comforted in his arms. Hank felt good. He was able to make
her happy.
She quickly composed herself. “Where is he?” Is he here, in
Germany? Has he been wounded? Is he well?”
“Whoa, whoa, little one. Yes, he is here in Hamburg and he
is perfectly fine. He was captured by our American troops in
France and has been in a prison camp in America, but now he
is here in Hamburg, safe and sound.”
“Here in Hamburg?! When can I see him? Can he come here?”
“Those are good questions, but the answers are not easy. Of
course, he cannot come here to see you, or he would be
arrested just like you. And, of course, you cannot go to see
him. But I have an idea that may have to suffice as the best
we can do for now.”
“What is it? Tell me!”
“I will continue to meet with you as we have been meeting. I
can carry messages for both of you, but they will have to be
verbal only. I don’t want to risk anything written. I know
you want to see him and hold him, but we cannot do that now.
But, I have an idea. I will arrange for Max to come near
here at a distance and you can see each other across the
field. Look out that window. You see there is a woods there?
I will have Max come to the woods so you can see him and he
can see you. I know it isn’t what you would like, but for
now it may be the best I can do.”
“Anything, anything. I’m so happy to know he is alive. Thank
you, thank you, my darling!”
Her words startled him. My darling, he pondered the thought.
He had never heard those words from anyone but his mother.
They felt good, really good, and he was delighted to see her
happy.