She looked down at Zoe, who was lying beside her, and marveled at what God had given her. It was not the first time she had thanked God for Zoe’s love nor, she suspected, was it going to be the last. She leaned down and kissed Zoe’s cheek softly. Zoe’s eye had started to bruise before they had gone to bed and now the injury had become a purplish mass. Eva was not in any better shape.
Eva’s head throbbed, but she didn’t care. She carefully felt her swollen lip and sighed again. She brushed Zoe’s hair back from her face and looked at the damage that had been caused by Rhimes’ gun. Zoe’s neck was also bruised from where both men had held her tightly.
The police had arrived and arrested Muller and Rhimes, taking them from David so he could take Friedrich to the hospital to have his injured wrist tended. Eva had barely registered all the faces and questions, and had been thankful that Earl was there to deflect most of the curious and concerned tenants who had congregated in the corridor outside the apartment. Earl had temporarily given the women a bit of privacy by propping the broken front door up in the frame. He also put a blanket over the hole where he had taken down the remains of the shattered balcony doors, promising to do a proper job once he had the necessary tools and supplies.
Afterwards, he had cleaned up the lounge, which resembled a war zone, with bits of broken furniture and other detritus scattered about. One wall would have to be repainted, since it sported a large bloodstain and a couple of bullet holes. After Earl had told them he was going to stay the night, Eva and Zoe had made their way to their own bedroom, undressed, and dropped their bone-weary bodies into bed.
Eva threw back the light blanket and sat on the edge of the bed for a moment before she got up. She put on her robe and slippers and left the bedroom, padding quietly over to the hole in the wall that used to be their balcony doors. Drawing aside the covering blanket, she gazed out at the rain. One of the darkest chapters of her life was now closed. She ruefully considered that every time she had thought Muller was out of her life, he reappeared. Finally, she was now certain he was going to get his comeuppance. Those he had murdered would also get their justice. It was too late for them and too late for Zoe’s mother, but it was going to happen.
She was filled with euphoria. She was exhausted and ached all over, but a peace had settled over her that she did not want to end. She felt truly free from Muller’s grasp. A huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she was a little light-headed because of it. She smiled as she ducked through the blanket and went out on the balcony.
Lightning streaked across the night sky, briefly illuminating the clouds and blotting out the star shine. Eva stood and watched the heavy rain cascading down. She smiled, took a step forward, and stuck out her hand to catch the raindrops. She sighed and looked into the heavens.
“It’s over, Mutti,” she said aloud, knowing her mother’s spirit would be watching and be proud of her. “It’s finally over.” She smiled and brushed away the tears that fell down her cheeks. “It’s finally over,” she repeated and shook her head in wonder.
After a while, she came back inside and went into the bathroom to get a towel to dry her wet hair. She peeked out from beneath the towel and saw someone else’s face gaze back at her. She was startled and blinked. She shook her head to clear it and looked back at the mirror. She only saw her reflection. “You’ve got scrambled brains,” she muttered to her reflection.
She winced at the deep bluish bruise on her cheek. “Ow,” she muttered. Her lip was not any better. She turned off the light and was about to head back to bed, but she stopped at the spare room.
Earl was wide awake. He turned over in bed upon glimpsing Eva’s silhouette when she opened the door. “Hey there,” he said and patted the side of the bed. “How’re you doing, slugger? Been playing out in the rain?”
Eva laughed at the new nickname she had acquired.
“I’m great. I was just enjoying the lightning.” She chuckled. “You look like you’ve gone ten rounds with Buster Malone,” she added and gently touched Earl’s bruised face. “Does that hurt?”
“Nah,” he replied. “How’s your head?”
“Sore.”
“I have to tell you, though, for an old guy, Rhimes sure can punch.”
Eva smiled. “He was a champion boxer in his younger day,” she revealed.
“Now she tells me!” Earl grumbled good-naturedly. “You look pretty beaten up.” He brushed his fingertips across Eva’s cheek.
“I’ve never felt better,” Eva honestly replied. “Your mother isn’t Jewish,” she stated, recalling Earl’s comment to Muller.
Earl laughed and shook his blond head. “Oh, yes, very Catholic,” he said.
“Why did you tell him she was Jewish?”
“To annoy his Nazi arse.” Earl grinned, a mischievous light in his eyes.
“You could have gotten yourself killed,” Eva admonished him.
Earl sat up a little more in bed and leaned back against the headboard. “I could have, but I didn’t. It doesn’t matter, does it?”
“It matters to me if you get yourself hurt or...ki-killed.” Eva’s voice caught in spite of her euphoric mood.
“Well, I will try not to get myself killed. You don’t have any other rampaging Nazis after you, do you?”
Eva shook her head. “I don’t think so,” she said. Obeying a sudden impulse, she leaned over and kissed Earl on the cheek. “Thank you, my friend.”
“For you, Miss Mull...um, I mean, Miss Haralambos,” Earl said, “I would do it all over again with one exception.”
“What’s that?”
“I would duck when Rhimes comes at me with that right cross.” Earl grimaced and felt his bruised cheek.
“Poor Henry. That’s the second time he’s been shot in the same leg.”
“When was the first?”
“In 1944, when Zoe and he went to rescue me from Reinhardt. I hope Friedrich is going to talk to me after I nearly smashed his head in with the poker.”
Earl laughed. “Aye, Freddy and his broken wrist.” He winced. “He’s going to be fine, and he has a war wound to show his new lady love. David is the lucky boy that didn’t get a poker in the head. Go to bed and stop playing in the rain.”
“Yes, Mother,” Eva joked. She gave him a pat on his unbruised cheek before leaving the room.
Eva re-entered her bedroom to find the bedside lamp on and Zoe sitting up in bed with her sketchbook. She smiled at the look of concentration on Zoe’s face.
“What are you doing up, love?” Eva asked. She took off her robe and sat beside Zoe to look at the sketch.
Zoe’s pencil flew across the page creating an image of the evening which amazed Eva, as she watched the drawing spring to life. On the paper, the sketched Eva was down on one knee with the poker ready to strike, a determined look on her face and her eyes blazing. Her hair was slightly disheveled, giving her a wild look. Zoe stopped and answered, “Drawing my hero.”
Eva smiled. “That’s me?”
“Oh, that’s you,” Zoe replied. She put the sketchpad down and turned to her. “Oh, Evy, you were magnificent!” she cried, kissing her very tenderly on her injured lips. “Your hair is wet. Did you go and have a bath?”
“No. I was outside watching the rain.”
“And why were you standing outside getting wet? You have stitches in your head.”
Eva smiled. “You’re going to think it’s crazy.”
“No, I won’t.” Zoe scooted over and Eva lay down next to her.
“I love it when it rains,” Eva explained. She sighed as Zoe snuggled up against her. “I love the smell.”
“I prefer to be in bed rather than outside getting wet,” Zoe murmured, causing Eva to laugh.
“I wanted to make sure last night was not a dream,” Eva said.
“So you got yourself wet to prove it?”
“No. When I was younger, I would go outside, stand in the rain, and catch the raindrops in my mouth. I was just remembering a time when al
l I worried about was whether Fritz would be pulling my pigtails again.”
Zoe gazed at her. “You felt like a kid?”
“Something like that,” Eva murmured. “Something special happened last night.” She held Zoe close to her and shut her eyes. “I don’t have the words to tell you how I feel.”
“I think I know,” Zoe replied. She took Eva’s hand and kissed it. “I’ve always wanted to hit that bastard in the balls and, what was sweeter, you did it.”
“I did, didn’t I?”
“Oh, my God, you were an avenging angel,” Zoe gushed. She wriggled out of the covers and knelt on the bed. “The look on your face!” she exclaimed. She got up on one knee and held an imaginary poker in her hand. “Whap! Whap! Whap!” she cried, striking the air with her imaginary poker while jumping on the bed, making Eva bounce.
Eva laughed. “I didn’t go ‘whap,’ love.”
“I know, but I’ve been dreaming that you did, and it was so good. Oh, the look on his face when you punched him!” Zoe clapped her hands together, which made Eva start. “Straight into his balls!” She laughed. “You looked heroic.”
“You think so?” Eva snickered, caught up in Zoe’s excitement. “I don’t think it was heroic, since I was on my knees.”
Zoe shook her head. “I think it’s heroic. For years you were terrified of him, Evy. Every time his name was mentioned, you looked so scared, even when we thought he was dead. Yesterday, you stood up to the bastard.”
“I wasn’t facing him alone.”
“Did that help?”
“More than you will know. You are my guardian angel.”
Zoe touched Eva’s face. “You are truly a gloriously gorgeous woman.”
They looked at each other and then kissed. “I love you,” Eva whispered breathlessly. “You gave me the strength to do that.”
“I can’t believe we did it,” Zoe said. She settled back under the covers and into Eva’s arms.
“How’s your head?” Eva carefully prodded the back of Zoe’s skull.
“A little sore,” Zoe admitted. “We do look a little worse for wear, don’t we?”
“A little.”
Zoe gently felt along Eva’s bruised cheek. “Bastard,” she said. “I hope they hang him.”
“Oh, I’m sure there is a special place in hell reserved for Hans Muller and Erik Rhimes,” Eva replied. She pulled Zoe closer to her. “You were very brave last night.”
“I make a great punching bag,” Zoe joked ruefully.
“No, I’m serious. You gave me the courage to stand up to him—”
“I didn’t give you that. That’s always been inside you and it just came out last night.” Zoe smirked. “I loved the look on the pig’s face when you said ‘no’ to him.”
“It was the first time in my life I said ‘no’ to him,” Eva revealed, smiling broadly.
“And you avenged my mama’s murder,” Zoe added. “I’m quite sure God has a very special place for you when it’s time to call you home.”
“Well, I hope it’s not anytime soon,” Eva replied. “We did it, love, we actually did it.” She could not believe it, even though she knew what had happened. The reality was starting to sink in.
“We did it,” Zoe echoed Eva’s words. “But I can’t believe David and Friedrich went to the wrong apartment!”
Eva snickered. “It’s not their fault that Mrs. Jenkins let Rhimes and Muller into our real apartment.”
“Someone should tell that woman that a Greek accent is very different from a German one. Doesn’t she know the difference?”
“I don’t know, love. I would think she would,” Eva replied. “Well, we did have a hand in confusing her with our sister story. Maybe she thought they were good Germans who were Greek as well.”
Zoe frowned. “I’m confused.”
“So is she,” Eva said, grinning. “I don’t really care at this point why Mrs. Jenkins doesn’t know the difference. We might have a problem with our sister story, though. Maybe we should tell people we are friends.”
“I have a better idea.” Zoe snuggled closer. “I think we should tell them that we are married.”
“I wish we could, Zoe, but that’s not going to happen.”
“I know, but I can dream,” Zoe replied. She fell silent for a moment before speaking again. “Poor Friedrich.”
Eva winced. “A broken wrist must hurt like crazy.”
“Ouch!”
“Elena is rather sweet on him.” Eva smiled.
“I think she’s into the ‘heavy like’ stage.”
“Oh, well, then there’s no hope,” Eva quipped, causing Zoe to laugh. “I think they look cute together.”
“I hope she finds as much happiness as I have.” Zoe tweaked Eva’s dimpled chin. “David is also a nice guy.”
“Hmm, he’s all right.”
“Just your type,” Zoe teased.
Eva looked down, frowning. Zoe shook her head and smoothed the crease between Eva’s brows with her fingertip. Eva said, “My type is in my arms.”
“Oh, I know that,” Zoe said. “It’s just that you seem to befriend tall, blond men.”
Eva realized what Zoe meant and laughed. “Do I?”
“Oh, yes.” Zoe nodded. “Earl is tall and blond, and now David is tall and blond.”
“Willy was tall and blond,” Eva added thoughtfully, thinking of her childhood friend.
“See what I mean?”
“I guess I do,” Eva admitted. “Green eyed redheads are my type,” she said. “There’s only one type that matters.” She leaned down for a kiss that would leave Zoe in no doubt about how she felt.
“Ah, stop!” Zoe cried.
Eva groaned. “Why?”
“Earl’s in the next room!” Zoe whispered. “Besides, your lip is bleeding.”
“I know. So?” Eva whispered back, and then touched her lip.
“We can’t make love while he’s in the next room. I don’t want Earl to hear us.”
Eva let out a frustrated sigh. “We must stop having people sleep over.”
Zoe got her sketchpad, and brought it over to rest on Eva’s stomach. “Evy,” she said as she gazed at the drawing.
“Hmm?”
“I love you.” Zoe looked into Eva’s eyes and let out a contented sigh.
Eva held her tightly and sent a silent prayer of thanks to heaven for the woman in her arms, and for the courage that had been needed to capture Muller and end his threat forever.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Four Weeks Later
December 1947
Eva put her hand over her mouth as she yawned. The waiting was driving her crazy. Next to her sat Henry, who was leaning back against the wall, his eyes shut, and his long legs stretched out in front of him. Earl was sitting beside him catching up on his sleep. His shift had ended less than an hour ago, but even though Eva knew he was tired, he had said he was determined to stay awake for this event.
Glebe Public School was the location, and inside a classroom sat the hopeful art college students. Eva once again got out of her seat and peeped through the door window to see if Zoe had finished her exam. Zoe had her head down and was using her pencil eraser quite industriously.
Eva went back to her seat. She took the newspaper that she had brought with her and turned the pages aimlessly until one article made her pause. “Oh,” she said, a little startled at what she had read.
“What’s the matter?” Henry asked.
“There’s an article here about the Nuremberg Trials.” Eva showed the article to Henry, who leaned forward.
“You know this Albert Dredger?”
Eva continued to stare at the newspaper. “I used to go to school with him,” she replied in disbelief. “It says he was a guard at Dachau concentration camp.” She looked down at the newspaper in her hand. “It says he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Jews sent there after Kristallnacht.”
“I hope they hang the bastard.”
Eva gla
nced at Henry and shook her head sadly. “So many lives destroyed over a madman’s say-so.”
“Are you feeling sorry for Dredger?” Earl asked.
“I’m not. I feel sorry for what we all lost,” Eva replied. “I was just surprised to see his name.”
“You’ve been saying that for weeks now,” Henry replied. “I’ve seen names I’ve known my whole life and it surprises me too.
Eva folded the newspaper and set it aside. “I know.” She had been reading the daily newspapers in disbelief at some of the names that were mentioned in connection with the trials. “I know that when I see Muller’s name, it won’t be a surprise.”
They looked at each other for a moment before Eva kissed Henry on the cheek. She got up from her seat and stretched. “These chairs are murder.” She went over to the examination room door and peeked inside.
“How are they doing?” Earl asked.
“Zoe is erasing something and Elena is scowling,” Eva replied. She took another peek into the classroom. Zoe was now writing furiously, which made her smile with affectionate indulgence. “I think Zoe’s on a mission.”
“Oh, good. Wake me when she’s finished,” Earl muttered.
Eva glanced back at him and her smile broadened. “Why don’t you go home to bed? They won’t find out the results for a few weeks.”
“Nup.” Earl shook his head. “I want to be here.”
“You know—”
“Zoe and Elena are the first students I have taught for nearly ten years. I want to stick around and see how they do,” Earl said, ending in a huge yawn, and promptly closed his eyes once more. “Or rather, how I do.” He shifted position and shrugged his wide shoulders against the chair back.
Eva did not pursue the matter. Instead, she went back to sitting and waiting, while mentally reviewing the past few weeks.
She opened her eyes when she heard a noise. Friedrich had entered the building and was making his way towards them. He was looking a sight healthier than he had the night that Eva had fractured his wrist with the poker, though his lower arm was still in a cast.
“Have they finished yet?” Friedrich asked. He took off his coat a bit awkwardly because of the cast, and draped it over an empty chair.
Where Shadows Linger (Intertwined Souls Series Book 2) Page 26
