All around her people were talking and laughing, and she could hear many languages. Perhaps I'm still at the Davidswache and dreaming all this, she thought— The waiter's voice seemed to come from far away.
Order anything? I must drink something, she thought, or they won't let me go on sitting here. "I'd like a schnapps," she said courageously.
The waiter managed to keep a straight face. "Very good. Cognac. Whiskey? Gin and tonic?"
"Something sweet," said Fr&ulein Louise.
"A Benedictine? Cointreau? Grand Marnier?"
"Yes."
"Which one, please?"
"The one you said first."
"A Benedictine?"
"Yes."
"Right away." And the waiter in tails went off.
Oh, dear God, please help me to stick it out here, she prayed. Please! All these people—they're staring at me— They're whispering about me...
Nobody was looking at Fraulein Louise, nobody was whispering about her. She gritted her teeth and sat up very straight, her big bag on her knees, and stared out at the reception desk so as to be sure not to miss Irina's return. She began to feel very warm in her coat, in the overheated lobby, but she would not remove it. I can't take off my coat, she thought. Impossible!
The swallow-tailed waiter came back with a silver tray, a glass on it, a light brown liquid in the glass. "A Benedictine, meine Dame"
He put down the tray in front of her and was about to go away when Fraulein Louise cried, "Just a minute!" and thought, Oh, God, now I'm shouting!
"Yes, gnadige FrauP" said the waiter, coming back.
"I'd like to pay now."
"Certainly. Six marks fifty." 380
"Six marks fif—" Fraulein Louise was speechless. For a little schnapps like that? Six marks fifty! That was insane! But she mustn't show her dismay.
She opened her big bag. The waiter couldn't control a slight start as he saw the bundles of money in it. But Fraulein Louise didn't notice. She handed him a hundred-mark bill. "I'm sorry, but I don't have anything smaller."
'Thank you very much, gnddige Frau" said the waiter as he hurried off.
Fraulein Louise looked after him, horrified. There he goes with my hundred marks! she thought, as she saw him disappear behind a red silk screen. They can't just walk off with my hundred marks in a fine hotel like this! She raised her glass and drank quickly. The light-brown liquid was sweet, but it burned. I don't care, she thought. I'll go to the nice man at the desk and tell him that this fellow has gone off with my hundred marks. I don't have to put up with—
"Here you are, gnddige Frau, if you please."
The swallow-tailed waiter was back with a small plate. Her receipt and change were on it. So he wasn't a thief, thought Fraulein Louise. One shouldn't think the worst of people right away
"Just a minute," she said, and fished around in the change until she found fifty pfennigs. She handed it to the waiter with a smile. "And this is for you."
'Thank you, gnadige Frau," said the waiter, also smiling. He bowed and withdrew again. Fraulein Louise emptied her glass in one swallow, whereupon she was suddenly very hot and felt sick. Air! I must go outdoors for a minute, she thought, or I'll throw up right here on their fine carpet. Oh, dear God, you are testing me hard. I can't go on like this much longer—
She rose uncertainly and hurried out of the lobby, past reception and the bell captain's desk. Nobody paid any attention to her. A bell boy turned the revolving door for her and she was outside in the cool evening air. She breathed deeply. Slowly she began to feel better.
A limousine turned into the driveway and stopped under the marquee at the entrance. The chauffeur helped two ladies in mink coats to get out. Fraulein Louise shrank into a dark corner. She heard one of the ladies say, "Take the car to the underground garage, Emile. We'll need you again at ten. I'll call."
The chauffeur bowed, cap in hand, got into the limousine
again, and drove along the front of the hotel and around a corner. It gave Fraulein Louise an idea. So they have an underground garage here, she thought. What if Herr Roland brought his car into the garage? And there was an elevator there that led up to the rooms? Perhaps one could have the key to the room brought down? In which case she was waiting up here for nothing. She wouldn't even see them when they came back.
The underground garage, she thought. I must take a look at it. She opened her Knirps and hurried along the front of the hotel on her painful feet, looking for the entrance to the garage.
For about ten minutes she stood in front of the big steel door to the underground garage in the dark and the rain. There was a circular staircase beside it, but Fraulein Louise didn't dare go down it, not all alone. That would be more conspicuous, she thought, tlian if I went down with somebody. I'll wait for the next car.
The next car was a Rekord. It drove up very close to Fraulein Louise and its headlights blinded her. A man in a raincoat got out and rang the bell for the elevator, a thin man. You could see white hair underneath his hat. He had a fine, narrow, cultured face. He stood beside Louise as he waited for the elevator to come up. Then he raised his hat and said, "Good evening."
"Go* j evening," said Fraulein Louise.
"Is a ihing wrong? Do you need any help?"
"No, thank you." Fraulein Louise had already thought of a story for whoever was down in the garage. "Very good of you."
"Here's the elevator," said the man, and got back into his car. A rattling noise got louder and louder and finally stopped. The metal door slid up, startling Fraulein Louise. She was afraid she might fall down the shaft, but there was no shaft, only the elevator platform and a stout, rosy-cheeked man with a friendly face and laughing eyes standing on it. The attendant, Wim Croft, had come on the night shift at seven. He was wearing bright yellow overalls, and he beckoned to the man at the wheel. To 382
! Fraulein Louise he said, "Good evening. You want to go down?"
"Yes, please," said Fraulein Louise.
"Come in md stand way back there. I have to get the car in," said Croft.
Fraulein Louis&nodded and walked into the elevator ahead of the Rekord which Croft was directing. Then all of them went down together. The elevator made a lot of noise, and talking was impossible. Croft smiled at Fraulein Louise and she smiled back. A friendly man, she thought. The elevator stopped. Croft waved the car onto the floor area and into a parking space. Fraulein Louise followed slowly. Fluorescent lighting lit up the entire floor. One had gone out, and a young man on a high ladder was replacing it. x
Fraulein Louise looked around and saw the driver of the Rekord coming toward her with the attendant. She heard the driver say, "Bad weather doesn't bother me. IVe just heard it's snowing hard in Moscow." He gave the attendant his car keys and walked past Fraulein Lquise into the little office beside the elevator where a bare bulb was burning and a Coca-Cola calendar was hanging on the wall beside a fire extinguisher. The attendant registered the Rekord in his book and hung the keys on the rack.
"You're from Moscow?" Fraulein Louise asked timidly of the man wearing a homburg and carrying an attache case. Her blood was pulsating wildly in her temples.
"Yes, madam. From Moscow," said the man with the silvery hair. He spoke without an accent. He had taken off his hat to her and bowed. "My name is Jossif Monerov."
"Louise Gottschalk," said Fraulein Louise. "You're from Moscow?" She couldn't say anything more. All she could think was: The Russian! The Russian!
"Herr Professor Monerov is in Hamburg to attend a convention," said Croft. "He is a famous doctor."
"Oh, come now," said Monerov, unbuttoning his coat and fumbling for change in his trousers pocket, and Fraulein Louise could see that he was wearing a tuxedo. "Convention! One reception after the other! I can't eat or drink another thing! And there are still so many things to do tonight. But I've got to lie down and take a little rest first."
"So much still to do?" said Fraulein Louise. She thought she had seen Monerov wink at her. The Russian
, she thought. The Russian is here!
"Yes, my good lady, a lot still to do," said Monerov. "If my friend here, Wim Croft, hadn't rented me a car, I wouldn't have been able to manage at all."
"You are friends?" asked Fraulein Louise. It sounded naive, but in her excitement her face had narrowed shrewdly. This conversation meant everything to her.
Monerov sounded good-natured as he said, "Very good friends. Isn't that so, Herr Croft? Herr Croft is from Holland. I love Holland. I've been there often."
Oh, dear God, thought Fraulein Louise. The Dutchman, too. So at last, at last!
"I have a Russian and a Dutch friend," said Fraulein Louise, staring at the two men.
'That's an honor," said Croft. "We like to have friends."
"Yes," said Monerov. "We're glad when somebody likes us," and he shook hands with Croft before he tipped him.
"See you later, Herr Professor," said Croft, and he and Fraulein Louise watched the professor walk over to an opaque door and press the button on the brass plate beside it. A hotel elevator came down. Monerov opened the door, waved to them, got in, and the elevator ascended again. And that's just as I imagined it would be, thought Fraulein Louise.
"And what can I do for you, lady?" asked Croft.
Fraulein Louise looked at him as if they were conspirators. "It concerns Herr Roland," she said.
"Aha!" said Herr Croft. "Herr Roland." He smiled. Frfiulein Louise smiled back, filled with childish faith.
"Yes," she said, and thought: Now I must lie. It's a sin, but I can't help it. "You see," she said. "I must speak to Herr Roland. I forgot a book in his big white car, and I need it. Herr Roland isn't in. I asked at the desk. So I thought perhaps I could wait for him here until he comes. So that I don't miss him. I really need that book."
"Your book's in the big car?" asked Croft.
"You mean he has a small one, too?"
"He's rented a Rekord. Like Professor Monerov's. Herr Roland's big car is over there. Can you see it?" He pointed to the Lamborghini, parked between two columns.
"Yes, yes! That's his car," cried Fraulein Louise, recognizing the Lamborghini which she had seen at the camp entrance. Now she was worried. The car's there, she thought. If this Dutchman 384
unlocks it for me to look for my book, what do I do then? The Dutchman said hesitantly, "Yes, that's Herr Roland's Lamborghini. He gave me the keys. But—but you must understand, lady—I mean, I can't unlock the car and let you get your book without his permission, you understand?"
"Of course I understand," said Fraulein Louise. (Thank you, dear God!) "Then—then would you mind if I waited down here until Herr Roland comes?"
"Of course not. But I have no idea when he'll be back."
"I have time," said Fraulein Louise. "But he will bring the car down here when he gets back, won't he?"
"Certainly. Just like the Herr Professor." Croft looked at the keyboard. "Hm...."
"What?" asked Fraulein Louise.
"I noticed last night, when Herr Roland asked for a car. He and his wife," said Croft, looking at the room plan, which he received daily from reception with all the new registrations, "—they live in Suite 423."
"He and his wife," Fraulein Louise said softly.
"I beg your pardon."
"Nothing. Nothing. So?"
"And Professor Monerov lives in Suite 424, next to them. And both of them rented a Rekord."
"Well!" said Fraulein Louise, and thought: Now I have reached my goal. At least one of them. And my friends are here. Oh, dear God, I was so close to despair, but now I'm moving right along again.
"Why don't you wait in my office?" said Croft.
"That's very good of you," said Fraulein Louise. She walked into the little room and sat down on a chair under the calendar; Croft sat down on his desk. They chatted. There was an awful lot going on right now, Croft told her. The hotel was full. And Professor Monerov was a very high-class gendeman. "He's been in Holland very often." Croft was homesick. He began to talk about his native land, and he talked until the garage bell rang again. "Perhaps that's Herr Roland," he said. But it wasn't.
Croft came back and sat back down on the desk and went on talking. The young man who had been repairing the lights came into the office. He was young, slim, and blond, and he was wearing blue overalls. "Everything's OK now," he said. "Please sign in my time."
Croft signed his book. Meanwhile the young man looked at Fraulein Louise and smiled. She smiled, too. A nice young man, she thought.
There you are, Jiirgen," said Croft. "And thanks."
"Wiedersehen" said Jiirgen. He nodded at Frftulein Louise and left
"Nice young man," said Frftulein Louise.
"He is," said Croft. "And such lousy luck!"
"Lousy luck?"
"Well, yes. His name is Jiirgen Felmar. Do you recognize it?"
Frftulein Louise thought hard. "Felmar... Felmar I've
heard the name somewhere but right now..."
"Ludwig Felmar. The biggest war criminal of them all. They've just caught up with him in Brazil. The former SS leader."
"SS Leader Felmar?" Fraulein Louise was stunned.
"Yes. And that young man is his son," said Croft. "They're going to try his father. If he doesn't get life—He certainly deserves it, no question of that. But the boy—it isn't his fault. What do you think's going on inside him? He's doing his best not to show it, poor devil."
Frftulein Louise heard his last words distantly. She was thinking: so I have met the Frenchman, the Pole, the Czech, the Ukrainian, the Russian, the Dutchman... and now the SS leaderl Or the son of the SS leader. Shouldn't make any difference. They're here! All of them. She thought, with the clarity that so often overwhelmed her: The judgment will fall here, in this hotel, tonight!
The bell rang again. Again Croft took the elevator up and came back with a dripping wet car, and still it wasn't the car Frftulein Louise was waiting for. Doesn't matter, she thought patiently. Nothing matters. I have time. I can wait.
She waited for half an hour, an hour, an hour and a half. Croft was very busy now; he didn't have time to pay any attention to her. Cars were called for and brought back, finally a rented one that had been involved in an accident. Croft had to examine the extent of the damage. He got a dolly, lay down on it, and rolled under the car.
Apartment 423, thought Frftulein Louise, coming to a sudden decision. Perhaps Herr Roland had come back... and had not put his car in the garage because he wanted to go out again. Yes, she told herself, he's back. I know he is!
She left the litde office and walked over to the opaque glass
elevator door. She pressed the Up button. The elevator came down. Nobody noticed her opening the door and getting in. She pressed the button for the fourth floor. The elevator was fast and soon stopped. Fr&ulein Louise got out. The long, wide hall was carpeted; antique chests and dark chairs stood against the wall. Not a soul in sight. Arrows and numbers on signs opposite the elevator indicated where the rooms lay. FrSulein Louise found her way easily. She walked down the hall, past old prints and large oil paintings. 427... 426... 425... 424... that was where the Russian lived... 423—
A white door with a gold handle. Fr&ulein Louise took a deep breath. "God be with me," she said, and pressed the handle down. The door opened. She could hear soft music—
"How on earth did you get here?"
I was standing beside Irina, staring at Fraulein Louise.
"From the garage. With the elevator. Nobody saw me," she said.
"And what do you want?"
"I want the girl. She must come back to the camp with me. At once! I won't have it!"
Irina grabbed my arm. I held on to her. "What won't you have?"
Fraulein Louise marched up to Irina. "I've been looking for you all over the city without finding you. Then, at last, my friends showed me the way." She glared at me. "You are a wicked man. You betrayed your trust!" She grabbed Irina by the arm and tried to pull her away. "And now you come along!"
"No!" she cried. "I'm not going back to your filthy camp. Never!"
I said sofdy, "Fraulein Louise, this is my suite. You had no right to enter it. If you don't get out immediately, then—I'm sorry, but 111 have to have you thrown out."
Fraulein Louise pushed back her hat. "Is that so!" she said angrily. "And you know what I'll do then? I'll bring charges
against you. For kidnapping. Irina isn't even twenty-one. She has no permit yetl She hasn't even been vaccinated!"
"Herr Roland has signed for me!" cried Irina. "If somebody's signed for me, I don't have to go back to the camp. Herr Roland has accepted all responsibility for me in writing! In uniting, you understand?"
Apparendy this made no impression on Fr&ulein Louise, because she cried, "Fools! That's what you are! Fools! One worse than the other. He has signed for you. He has taken all responsibility. For how long? Until he's had enough of you, then hell throw you out!"
"Just a minute—" I began, but Fr&ulein Louise wouldn't let me finish. Turning to Irina she said, "And look at you! Dressed up like a—like a—you know what! Aren't you ashamed of yourself ? Look what he's done to you in one day!" And to me again: "You're no better than the rogues on the Reeperbahn, the ones who come and get girls from the camp! You want to have your fun with her, that's all."
I walked up to Fraulein Louise and said, "Now that's enough!" I got no farther than that when the telephone rang. I picked up the receiver. "Yes!"
"Why are you shouting?" asked a voice I knew but for the moment couldn't place.
"Who is it? What do you want?" I asked in a normal voice.
'This is Victor Largent." Of course, damn it! And it was all I needed right now. "And what do I want? To speak to you. It's important."
"Where are you?"
"In the lobby. I'm talking from a booth. I'll be right up. So long."
"You're not coming up!" I shouted. "If you want anything from me, call me tomorrow morning."
'Tomorrow morning's too late. It has to be now."
"It doesn't have to be now! I don't have the time! Do not come up!" And I slammed down the receiver.
The Traitor Blitz Page 42
