Karolina's Twins

by Ronald H. Balson

  “How awful for Lena. Oh my goodness, by her own son? But you haven’t answered my question, Mr. Taggart. What do you want from me?”

  “Well, if you were so disposed, I’d like you to come to Chicago and testify in court that Karolina had twins, that they actually existed and that Lena promised to come back and find them. Lena can defeat her son’s petition with your testimony.”

  “How about Karolina? Do you know what became of Karolina Neuman?”

  “Unfortunately, she died at the Parschnitz concentration camp. According to Lena, she was so distraught about losing her babies that she tried to escape and was shot by the guards.”

  “How terribly sad. Well, I don’t travel much anymore. I’m afraid I can’t come to Chicago.”

  “That’s all right, Muriel. Lena’s attorney can take your testimony with a video deposition in New York. We can come to you.”

  “You don’t want to do that, Mr. Taggart.”

  “Yes, we do. I haven’t found those girls yet, and without your testimony Lena may lose her case.”

  “My testimony won’t help Lena.”

  “Why not? You were the nurse who delivered the twins in the Chrzanów ghetto, weren’t you?”

  “Yes, I was.”

  “Lena needs to prove that Karolina’s twins really existed. Why is that so hard for you?”

  “Talk to Lena. Good-bye.”

  Liam turned off the recorder. “Did you hear that, Cat? Can you believe she won’t testify?”

  “Yes. And I think I know why.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Karolina Neuman never had twins. She never had any babies. Muriel won’t give a video deposition to support Lena’s story because it isn’t true. Muriel delivered the babies all right, but they weren’t Karolina’s. They were Lena’s. Lena had the twins.”

  “Holy shit. And the whole story about Karolina’s babies?”

  “Was a cover-up. Lena Scheinman loved David Woodward and they spent nights together in his room. Lena got pregnant. David was sent away a few weeks later and never knew. They were David’s babies.”

  “Oh, my God.”

  “I’ve had my suspicions all along, but when you told me about Fräu Strauss and what she said about Helga Schultz, that started me to thinking. You know, I always told you I suspected there was a deep, dark secret. Over the past few days, I went back through my notes and there they were—all the clues. Now that you’ve told me about Muriel, I’m certain. When Lena was describing the birth of the babies, she was talking about herself. If you reverse Lena and Karolina, the relationship, the story, it all fits together.”

  “What about the conversation they had when they were bathing, when Lena first noticed that Karolina was pregnant?” Liam said. “And they discussed abortion.”

  “Reverse it.”

  “But what about Siegfried? Lena asked Karolina whether she could live in Bavaria as Siegfried’s wife. Didn’t they talk about raising Siegfried’s Jewish babies in Germany?”

  “No. The talk was about whether Karolina and Siegfried could make a life together in Germany. When he wrote to his mother, he told her about falling in love with a German girl. He never told her about children. Even when Siegfried wrote down his address, he did it so that Karolina could live with his mother. Nothing on the paper alerts his mother to children. Think about it. Fräu Strauss told you she never heard of Siegfried fathering any children, and she would have because Helga Schultz would have bragged about them.

  “When they needed coal from Siegfried, they twisted his arm by threatening to bring the babies to the Shop and tell everyone that they were his babies. The way Lena describes it, Siegfried was shocked and said, ‘My babies? Why would you do that?’ He was shocked because they weren’t his.

  “Ninety percent of Lena’s narration was true. Karolina had an affair with Siegfried. She slept with him to save Lena’s life, but she didn’t get pregnant. Karolina didn’t have the twins—Muriel practically told you that. Lena was the one who gave birth. Karolina, Muriel and Lena lived in Yossi’s basement apartment with Lena’s twins. They shared the babysitting duties by alternating shifts.

  “The rest of the story, Lena’s involvement in the network was all true. Through your research you verified the identities of Colonel Müller and Witold Pilecki. I’m sure it’s true that the colonel arranged for her to be sent to Gross-Rosen rather than Auschwitz. I’m equally certain that a woman on the train warned them about the Nazis, and confirmed what they already knew, that the Nazis would take the babies when they arrived. The story about throwing the babies out of the window is absolutely true, you’ve proven it. They were rescued in Domaniów, Poland. Whether it was Karolina’s idea or Lena’s, I don’t know. I tend to think it was Karolina’s. She seemed to be the stronger of the two—that is, until they arrived at Gross-Rosen, but it really doesn’t matter. For seventy years, Lena has concealed the fact that she was the mother of those twins.

  “The clues were all there, Liam. I just didn’t see them. She continually referred to the babies as our babies. Even Karolina’s last words were ‘You’ll survive and find our babies.’ Not my babies. It all makes sense, Liam. She waited all these years to begin her search because she couldn’t tell David that she had killed his daughters. She told me that she refused to discuss the Holocaust or any part of it with David or anyone else for many years.

  “David never knew he had daughters. Don’t you remember her saying that David wanted daughters? Do you remember how Arthur derided her in court, saying she only wanted a daughter, not a son? She couldn’t do it, Liam. She couldn’t tell David that he did have daughters and that she’d heaved them out of the window of a moving train and probably killed them.

  “Lena was crippled with guilt, but she was too afraid to find out about the babies while David was still alive. It was all bottled up inside of her, and a few years ago it was just too much. She’s in her eighties, and if she’s ever going to keep that promise, she’d better do it now. So, she made up the story about Karolina and a desire to return to Poland to find out what happened to Karolina’s twins. It was all a cover-up.

  “When I gave her your news, that the babies had survived, she became hysterical like nothing I’d ever seen. She reacted as only a mother could. Now we have confirmation from Muriel. What possible reason would there be for Muriel to refuse to help her friend? Think about it. Because she’d have to reveal the truth and she feared that telling the truth would hurt Lena.”

  “Are you going to tell Lena that you know?”

  “Not right now. There’s no reason to do that, and I think she’s too vulnerable, too susceptible to a breakdown. For the time being, let’s just say you found out that Karolina’s twins survived.”

  “How are you going to handle the trial?”

  “That’s a good question. I haven’t figured that one out yet. Peterson wouldn’t give me more than two weeks, so I’ll have to be ready. I’ve subpoenaed Lena’s doctor; he’ll be a good witness. I have her medical records. I’ve subpoenaed Mr. Forrester, the IDA agent. I’ll do the best I can. How close are you to finding out anything more about the children?”

  “Pretty damn close on one. The other one is a dead end—the family originally lived in Wroclaw but moved in the early fifties with no forwarding address. At least, not one I can find. Remember, Poland was behind the Iron Curtain, a Communist puppet, and all of its official records were secret. They were only released within the last twenty years. Digging through these archives is impossible.”

  “But you’re close on one of the girls, right? If you find one, that’s all we need.”

  “Well, maybe. If she’s still alive, if the woman would be cooperative, if she would agree to testify, if she knew she was adopted, if she knew she was tossed from a railroad train, if she was the right age, and if their DNA matched. There’s a lot of ‘ifs.’ I’m zeroing in, but you’re not giving me very much time.”

  “I’m giving you all I have.”

  “Okay. T
alk to you later. Love you.”

  Catherine returned to the conference room, where Lena and Gladys were engaged in an animated conversation.

  “Lena, are you ready to finish up?”

  “There’s not much more. I’ve told you almost everything I know. When we got to Chicago, David opened up a tailor shop. What else would he do? But, as I told you, David was an entrepreneur.”

  “Don’t tell me he smuggled cigarettes.”

  Lena laughed. “No. But he bought a couple little grocery stores in the neighborhood, and he invested his money wisely. He and I studied the financial markets together, and we became quite astute on market movements. Together we formed D. Morris Woodward Investments. Sixty-two years ago, we had Arthur.”

  Catherine held up her hand. “Let me stop you for a minute. When did you first start talking to David about Karolina’s twins?”

  “Why does that matter?”

  Catherine shrugged. “It could come up in the hearing.”

  “Maybe four years ago.”

  “Never before that? Are you saying that you never told David about the babies until four years ago?”

  “That’s right. I told you that I wanted to move on and not talk about what happened during the war. It’s true that I gave a history to Yad Vashem and I’ve been involved with survivors’ groups, but I never wanted to talk about my personal experiences until I came to you. David and I did not share all of our wartime experiences with each other. It was too painful for each of us. Too personal. David never knew what happened with Rolf. He never knew about my experiences in Auschwitz.”

  “But four years ago you brought up Karolina for the first time.”

  “I only said that my friend Karolina had twins. David was gone when she gave birth. He asked what happened to them and I told him Karolina abandoned them in a field. Nothing about the train. I told him that I made a promise to try to find them, but that I didn’t think it was possible, so I had never tried. That’s as much as he ever knew.”

  “When we first started our sessions, you told me that David urged you to keep your promise and find Karolina’s twins.”

  “Did I say that?”

  “Yes, it’s right in my notes.”

  “Well, I don’t understand why any of this is very important. I didn’t try to do anything for sixty years because I couldn’t deal with it. It was all too traumatic. I could not face trying to find a baby that I threw out of a window. I couldn’t face the memories of Karolina. Surely you can appreciate that.” She wiped a tear with her fingertips.

  Catherine reached over and placed her hand on Lena’s shoulder. “Of course, I do. I’m sorry to be so adversarial. I guess it’s just my nature as a lawyer.”

  Lena stood to leave. “Just knowing that the babies didn’t die, that they survived the ordeal and were later adopted, that’s really more than I could have ever hoped to learn. You know, I really don’t care what happens in court in two weeks. It doesn’t matter anymore. You and Liam have fulfilled my promise. The babies lived. Karolina and I, we made the right decision when we threw them into the fields.”

  “Who made the decision, Lena? Was it you or Karolina?”

  “Oh, it was Karolina. After all, they were her babies.”

  FORTY-EIGHT

  WHEN LIAM RETURNED TO Chicago, he received a text message from Arthur. It read, “Please meet with me in advance of the court hearing. Just you and me. No lawyers.”

  “What do you suppose he wants?” Catherine said.

  “No idea. Maybe he would like to pitch a deal.”

  “The only deal Lena would accept is a total withdrawal of the petition.”

  “I think if that’s what he had in mind it wouldn’t be necessary to meet. My guess is that he wants financial control, and for that, he’d give up an appointment as guardian of the person.”

  Catherine nodded. “Could be. Did you set up a meeting?”

  “Not without talking to you.”

  “Go ahead. See what he wants.”

  * * *

  IN A WICKER PARK coffee shop, Arthur sat alone, his hands around a cup of cappuccino. He stood when Liam walked in.

  “Thanks for coming,” Arthur said. “I know there’s a lot of animosity between our two offices, but I hope to have a little powwow and smoke a peace pipe, if you know what I mean. I really don’t want to hurt my mother.”

  “Seriously? Maybe you never read the memo, but filing a petition to declare your mother incompetent isn’t going to get you nominated for son of the year.”

  “Peace pipe, Liam.”

  “What’s on your mind, Arthur?”

  “Until just a few years ago, my mother and I never had any problems. Until this Karolina thing, we were close, sort of. I mean, as close as you can get to someone who has been through as much as my mother. I know she’s telling her life history to Catherine, which was more than she ever did with me, but any person who suffered like my mother has horrors locked up inside her head. She never spoke about the Holocaust with me. Ever. Her trials and hardships were never open to discussion in our home. But I knew they were always present in her memory. Anyone who lives with a survivor knows that.

  “A couple of years before my father died, she brought up a story about her childhood friend, Karolina. It came out of the blue. For whatever reason, she started telling us that she needed to honor a promise she made seventy years ago. My father—he loved her and went along with it. He even encouraged her, but before my father died, it was just talk. Now my mother wants to go find them, no matter what the financial or emotional cost.

  “This Karolina thing has become a fixation. An obsession. I’ve talked to psychiatrists. They tell me there’s serious psychological risk that emotional damage can occur when the object of someone’s fixation turns out to be nothing but thin air. And believe me, this is nothing but thin air. She’s living with this obsession. What happens when she finds out it’s bogus? Have you thought about that? It would be very bad for her.”

  “It’s not bogus. The children survived.”

  “Right. What are their names today?”

  “I don’t know yet.”

  “Look, even if Karolina’s twins were real, she’s never going to find them and besides, that doesn’t end the case. It’s about her obsession. I want to make a deal.”

  “It has nothing to do with the money, your inheritance?”

  “Fuck, no. I don’t need her inheritance. I only care about her well-being. But I don’t want her spending all my dad’s money or giving it away to some fictitious person or to children she never met.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Well, whether you believe me or not really doesn’t matter to me. Money squandered on lawyers and investigators to travel around the world chasing rumors and fairy tales in a wild goose chase is one thing. Giving it away to strangers is yet another. If I’m controlling the money, well, you understand.”

  “What’s your proposition?”

  “Appoint me irrevocable guardian of her estate, give me control of her finances, and I’ll drop the rest. I won’t put her in a home.”

  Liam shook his head and stood to leave. “You’re an asshole.”

  Arthur picked up his check and threw a twenty-dollar bill on the table. “Think about it. We have court in a few days.”

  * * *

  “SHE’D PROBABLY TAKE THAT deal, Liam. I don’t think she cares about fighting him anymore. She’s learned the babies survived and that was the most important thing to her. She knows that a trial would be very hard on her. She doesn’t want to give her personal history in an open courtroom. I’m the only one she’s ever confided in. I’m afraid she’ll refuse to testify. I can’t imagine her taking the stand and being cross-examined by Michael Shirley. And as of today, we have no proof of the existence of the twins. What are your thoughts?”

  “I know it might make sense to take the deal, but I’d like you to hold off. I’m playing a long shot. I’ve got something cooking. I’m pretty sure I can come th
rough and it won’t be necessary for her to testify.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’ll tell you when I come home tonight. I’m still working on it. Trust me. We still have a few days.”

  “Okay.”

  “Besides, you’re the best ass-kicker I know. Don’t sell yourself short. You can probably win this case in your sleep without my help or Lena’s testimony.”

  “What have you been drinking?”

  FORTY-NINE

  JUDGE PETERSON TOOK HIS seat at the raised bench and nodded to his clerk. She slammed the wooden gavel three times and announced, “Case number 13 P 6268, In re: the Guardianship of Lena Woodward. Cause on trial.”

  “Are both sides answering ready for trial?” Judge Peterson said.

  Shirley snapped to his feet. “Petitioner is ready, Your Honor.”

  “Is respondent ready?”

  Catherine stood and looked nervously around the courtroom. She looked at her watch. She looked at the door. “Respondent renews her motion for a short continuance.”

  “Denied. Is respondent ready for trial?”

  “Very shortly, Your Honor. Can we start tomorrow?”

  “No.”

  “This afternoon?”

  “No.”

  Catherine reluctantly nodded. “Then respondent is ready.” Catherine kept turning her head to check the door. Liam had promised he’d get there before the trial started, but he’d had a stop to make. He’d told her to stall.

  “Your Honor,” Catherine said. “Before we commence testimony this morning, we’ve received an offer from the petitioner which we would like to discuss. May we have a one-hour break to negotiate?”

  “No. Discussions are over. You’ve had months to do your negotiations. Mr. Shirley, call your first witness.”

  Catherine remained standing. “Your Honor, may I have a short break to use the ladies’ room. As you can see, I’m very pregnant.” She smiled.