She smiled. A beautiful smile of lost joy and long regret.
“Kaspar Fortgang – with a K.”
“That doesn’t sound Jewish.”
“He wasn’t. They killed him for wanting to marry me.”
They had spent the day walking in the Grunewald. Five members of the Schutzstaffel interrupted their sunlit idyll and demanded to see their papers. When they didn’t like what they saw they ordered them both to strip. She thought she was going to die – especially when they unleashed the Alsatians. However, they set the dogs on Kaspar.
The young men held her, groped her, forced her to watch as the snarling animals sank their teeth into her lover’s flesh, tearing off his penis, biting him all over his body, while their aroused handlers jeered.
“I can still hear his screams. In my head he is always screaming.”
Her cries for help were either unheard or ignored. She could do nothing but stare in horror. Kaspar fought for his life as long as he could before, lapsing into unconsciousness, he slowly bled to death, the demented dogs slavering over the corpse.
However, Rebekkah’s ordeal was only beginning. The blond boys took it in turns to rape her again and again. In her mouth and tukhus too.
“They could have killed me – but they wanted me to suffer, to live in shame and grief. Day after day after day.”
“When did the rage begin?” Johnny was furious on her behalf.
“Immediately. As soon as I was alone. I wanted to tell Kaspar how I felt but – of course – I could not.”
There were so many things he needed to know. Her background, how she came to England. He fought to control his emotions and organize his thoughts.
The murders had to take precedence.
“Five men attacked you. Why did you keep on killing after your fifth victim?”
“I wasn’t going to kill Alex. He wasn’t, as far as I could tell, a fascist. I liked him – but he betrayed my trust. When I found him in my rooms, uninvited, whatever was between us vanished. I took him to bed and told him exactly what I’d done and what I was going to do to him. He didn’t believe me at first until I told him about Kaspar – and showed him the jar of offcuts. He was in a blue funk – and I’d locked the door – so, when I produced the handcuffs, he flung himself out of the window. He didn’t hesitate in the slightest … The bris doesn’t hurt that much!” She sighed. “I rather enjoyed being a mohel. The look in their eyes when they knew they were going to die – I saw it in Kaspar’s eyes too. The moment of ultimate knowledge …
“I don’t care what happens to me. I haven’t since the day he died. My intention was to keep on bloodletting for as long as possible. If I hadn’t met Alex, I wouldn’t have been caught. My only mistake was to like him. He would have made someone happy. Affection is a weakness. I should have killed him as soon as I knew he was following me.”
“But you didn’t. He wasn’t on the list.”
“Neither are you, Mr Steadman, but I could grab that pencil and stab you in the eye before anyone could save you.”
Johnny sat back quickly.
“Why? You want your story to be told, don’t you?”
“That’s why you’re still alive. I want the whole world to know what’s happening in Germany – even if they don’t want to hear it.”
“I’ll do my best. I promise.”
He meant it. This was the twentieth century yet Hitler and his henchmen seemed intent on ushering in a new Dark Age.
“How did you get the list of EFF members?”
“I broke into the office and stole it. Neither was hard to find.”
“You used a Spiderline?”
“Yes. I’ve never been afraid of heights.”
“And you simply started at the top of the list?”
“More or less. As a chemist I was trained to be methodical. However, as a Jewish woman, I could only get employment as a pharmacist in Berlin. Still, the little I learned about toxins proved useful.”
“Why begin with the Bs though?”
“It was a question of geography. All the As lived out of the City. I’d have got to them eventually.”
“Did you meet them at work?”
“No. Why d’you ask me that? I met Alex at Lockharts, but no one else.”
“Both Bromet and Broster had the same stomach contents: boiled pork and pease pudding.”
“We’re allowed to take home any leftovers from the restaurant. That’s what made it so easy to poison the fools. When a man is offered sex and food he rarely says no. I would offer to cook them a meal at their place and, knowing they would soon be unconscious, return later with my tools. This allowed me to establish an alibi, should one ever be required.”
She sounded proud of her modus operandi.
“Why enter through the windows though?”
“It was more discreet. Few people are in the habit of looking up. Londoners keep their heads down, especially at night. I’d open and close the window before I left to ensure I could get through it.”
“Wasn’t it difficult, getting back on to the roof?”
“Not at all. The winding mechanism works both ways – up and down. Besides, if necessary, I could have climbed the line like a rope.”
Johnny was using shorthand yet still struggled to keep up with the torrent of words. She may have been bragging but she was also relieved to be able to finally share the information.
“Did you follow the same routine each time?”
“More or less. Alex unsettled me though. I sensed the end was near. If I didn’t kill five fascists Kaspar would remain unavenged. Hext was a last-minute substitute. I’d actually chosen a man called Hollom to be the next victim. He was close by in Hatton Garden but he didn’t appear to sleep at his given address and this made me suspicious.”
“A shop called Otarelli’s.”
“Indeed. You know the man?”
“I’ve met him. In fact he almost broke my jaw today. He works for the British government. In some strange way I think you and he must be on the same side. He’s infiltrated the EFF but I’m not sure why yet. At one stage I thought he was the killer.”
“I am glad that I did not kill him. He has had a lucky escape.”
“It’s more likely that he would have killed you.”
“One way or another your government will have its way with me.”
Johnny paused. She would have made an excellent secret agent. He glanced at his watch. There was one minute left.
“Hext apart, did you have sex with all the men?”
She glared at him. Johnny gripped his pencil.
“I’m not a whore. I did what I had to do, pandering to their pathetic fantasies so I could tie them up. I had sex with Alex, that’s all. He reminded me of Kaspar. I think it’s the way he gave himself to me straightaway. He didn’t hold back. Such vulnerability now terrifies me. Kaspar was my soulmate. Maybe I was Alex’s – but it would never have worked out. You can only have one secret sharer.”
The sudden silence made Johnny look up. She was studying him.
“The blond detective. Maybe he is your soulmate?”
She had been more than truthful. He owed her one straight answer.
“Yes.”
“I knew it. You hide it well, Mr Steadman, but your eyes give you away.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Johnny. “I’ve never said the words but he knows it.”
Matt popped into the Robin Hood on their way back from the station. Lizzie didn’t say a word. He bought a bottle of Mackeson for her as well. They both needed a drink.
They put Lila Mae – already in dreamland – to bed. Matt got the fire going in the parlour while Lizzie prepared a light supper of bacon and eggs. They ate in silence. Lizzie knew she would have to be the one who broke it.
She waited until he’d finished wiping his plate with a slice of bread. She could hear her mother tut-tutting.
“You got the murderer then?”
“Yes. It was more to do with dumb luck than
detection. A German woman out for revenge.”
“For what?”
“The Nazis killed her fiancé. He was fraternizing with a Jew.”
“What will happen to her?”
“If she’s lucky, she’ll stand trial in England. If not she’ll be sent back to Germany.”
Lizzie shuddered. The latter would surely be a fate worse than death.
“What were you doing at the Mitre?”
Matt met her gaze. “I could ask you the same question.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Come on.”
They sat holding hands in the firelight.
“I was trying to locate a government agent who seemed implicated in the murders.”
“And did you?”
“Not straightaway. Turns out he was thumping Johnny in Cheapside.”
“Is he all right?”
“He’ll live. Should I have been the one landing the punch?”
“No. Of course not! Tanfield deliberately misled you. Why didn’t you say anything when you came to collect us?”
“No need. As one of Simkins’s spies he’ll be interviewed in connection with the blackmail attempt. We won’t be able to prosecute him, but the shock should make him appreciate the value of discretion.”
“I was going to tell you about Zick.”
“When?”
“When I’d resolved the matter.”
“And how would you have done that if I hadn’t turned up? You could have been shot!”
“So could you. My only concern was that Simkins didn’t let the photographs fall into the wrong hands.”
“I’m sorry you had to see them.”
“In a way I’m glad I did. We shouldn’t have secrets from each other.” She squeezed his hand. “Someone sent me the ones of you two years ago.”
Matt resisted the urge to leap up. He’d done his utmost to keep her in the dark about the assault and yet she’d known all along.
“Who?”
“I don’t know. I destroyed them.”
“Didn’t you wonder how they were taken?”
“I assumed the same way as the ones of Johnny were.”
“They weren’t taken at the same time.”
“It doesn’t matter if they were. It’s clear that neither of you were conscious.”
“Did Johnny tell you what happened to him?”
“Not in so many words. I’ve a fair idea though. We’ve never talked about it – just as I’ve never talked about this with you before.”
Matt was furious with Zick – it had to be Zick; he’d broken his promise to destroy the negatives – but at the same time he was relieved the sordid saga was finally out in the open. Zick, at Inskip’s insistence, had already given up Timney. A small price to pay to save his neck. The photographer would never make another nudie.
He hugged his wife. “Thank you. I don’t deserve you. A lesser woman would have walked out.”
“I thought I had.”
She laughed at Matt’s look of panic.
“I’m teasing you, Matt. Commander Inskip suggested it would be safer for us all if I did so.”
So that was it. The apparently well-meant warning was designed to exert greater pressure on him. He dreaded to think what would have happened if he hadn’t taken the money.
“I should have told you I was going to my parents, but I was angry with you. I was at the end of my tether. I felt taken for granted, bored and frustrated. I hate your job for changing you, for taking you away from us so often. There has to be more to life than this, but I’ll never do such a selfish thing again.”
Matt listened carefully. He would make it up to her somehow. All he’d ever wanted to be was a cop. What else could he do though? War was coming. It was his duty to protect her and Lila. His well-being depended on theirs.
“I thought Zick was behind your disappearance. That’s the thing about blackmail, it leaves behind a taint, a sneaking suspicion that never goes away. When you think about it, he’s at least partly to blame. You can’t tell another soul this, Lizzie, but Inskip is in business with Zick. I realize now that I can’t possibly escape their clutches without ending my career. They have too many so-called friends. I took thirty pieces of their silver to get them off my back. That’s why Simkins’s death won’t be a problem. They think I’m on the same side as they are. I suppose we are now. I’m as corrupt as they are.”
For a moment Lizzie, staring into the flames, said nothing.
“You aren’t like them. Not a jot … Does Johnny know this?”
“Not yet.”
“Don’t tell him.”
“Why not?”
“It will destroy him,” said Lizzie. “You know how he looks up to you. You’re his hero.”
“And d’you know how he feels about me?”
“I’ve always known.”
“Aren’t you jealous?”
“Do I have any reason to be?”
“No. You should know me better than that! If I’m being honest, though, I do envy the closeness between you. The way your minds think alike is unnerving – and strangely intimate.”
Lizzie kissed him, long and slow, drinking in the heat and taste of him.
“Well, detective,” she said, slightly out of breath. “Consider the evidence. We love the same man.”
It was only later that he realized the “we” could refer to Lizzie and Johnny or Lizzie and him.
This time he’d been expecting recriminations as well as congratulations.
Johnny stood in front of the vast desk while Stone raged at him.
“Your theories turned out to be pure poppycock! Adler and Hollom are entirely blameless. They haven’t killed anyone. Now I’ve got the Ministry of War breathing fire down my neck.”
“That’s because the story about the gold is true.”
“It’s been classified as a state secret – so we have to publish both a recantation and an apology.”
“Why? Regulations can’t be introduced retroactively. What was true yesterday will be true tomorrow.”
“The Emergency Powers Act covers a multitude of sins. We’re about to go to war. The usual rules do not apply.”
“Your brother-in-law could back us up.”
“And why would he do that?”
“We’ll reveal the Bank of England’s part in stealing the Czech gold if he doesn’t.”
“Aren’t you listening to me? The first casualty when war comes is truth.”
“Maybe in America. What does LV say?”
Stone, living up to his name, froze. He regarded his idealistic reporter impassively.
“You haven’t told him, have you?” Johnny was mystified. “Why not? Who are you trying to protect? It better not be Adler.”
“I don’t need to explain myself to you, Steadman. Take it from me: the Lord Mayor is beyond reproach – or soon will be.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Who’s got to you? I thought we were on the same side.”
“Choose your words carefully or you won’t even be on the same newspaper.”
“I always do. I presume you’ve heard the Chronicle needs a new crime editor?”
“Tanfield has written an excellent account of Simkins’s death. You trained him well. He also enjoyed reporting on your arrest this afternoon – as well as the final murder. He’s had a busy day in your absence. What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t arrested, so you’d better correct his copy before the late edition. And Vanneck jumped to his death, so technically it wasn’t murder. I thought your brother-in-law was in danger. Hollom, after clouting me, got into the coach. Did you know that? I see Tanfield didn’t mention it. Or did you censor his copy?”
Stone appeared genuinely surprised.
“Is this true?”
“Yes. There must be dozens of witnesses. Why would Hollom do such a thing? What was so important that he would break cover to speak to him?”
“Let’s ask him.”
Stone told his secretary to get Adler on the
line. While they were waiting, Johnny related his exclusive interview with Rebekkah Maslow.
“So the EFF provided the victims, not the culprit?”
“In five cases, yes. But don’t forget it was the EFF that firebombed the synagogue. They must be behind the attacks on Adler too. A single conversation with Hollom could clear this up.”
“I think your shiner says it all. He lets his fists do the talking. You’re not to approach him in any way. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
If truth was no longer paramount then lying was not important either.
One of the telephones rang.
“It seems he’s unavailable,” said Stone. He didn’t like being thwarted. “Probably out celebrating his ascent of the greasy pole. I’ll try him at home later. Something doesn’t add up. In the meantime, bash out the interview. Two thousand words as quick as you can. I’ll tell them to remake the front page.”
It was after nine when Johnny filed his copy. The expense of holding the presses would be more than offset by the extra copies sold. The Lord Mayor’s show disrupted, the fatal shooting of a journalist, a sixth death plus an interview with the Jewish woman responsible: it would be a remarkable, collector’s edition.
It wasn’t only the crime desk that was working late. The foreign desk was buzzing. There was no sign of Patsel. Reports were coming in of another night of violence in Germany. Across the country Jewish businesses were being attacked, synagogues burned down. In Berlin well-dressed people had applauded as Hitler Youths beat Jewish people senseless with lead piping, their screams aped by crowds of laughing spectators. Some women even held up their children so they would have a better view. The streets were strewn with so much broken glass that it was already being called Kristallnacht.
Johnny’s heart ached as much as his head and jaw. He feared this was only the start of something, something truly evil. How could people – citizens of a Western nation – behave like this?
He looked at the bottle of champagne Matt had left, a gift from Ye Olde Mitre, courtesy – if that was the word – of Zick. No, he wasn’t in the mood. He was exhausted but knew he wouldn’t sleep if he went straight home. Tanfield, wisely, had scarpered – probably to toast his perceived successes. It was too late to call Becky and, by now, Matt would be back in Bexleyheath with Lizzie.
Robin Hood Yard Page 22
