Sisters of Berlin

by Juliet Conlin

  ‘What is it, Anita?’

  She plucks at her sleeve. ‘The very first time he came, Kommissar Frank, just after your sister . . . he asked if I could confirm that you were here all morning on the day she was –’ She inhales sharply. ‘Of course you were, I told him. I can’t believe he might’ve thought that you – well, I felt awkward mentioning it to you, that’s all.’ She stops.

  ‘It’s okay, Anita,’ Nina says. ‘He was just doing his job.’ Which she knows is true, but she hadn’t considered it before and it makes her feel tainted, somehow. She heads towards the examination room.

  ‘Sorry, Dr Bergmann, one more thing,’ Anita says. Nina turns around.

  ‘Were you in here over the weekend, by any chance?’

  Nina clears her throat. ‘Yes. I was catching up on some paperwork. Why do you ask?’

  ‘Thank goodness,’ Anita says. ‘All the doors were open in here when I came in this morning – the exam room, the toilet – and I thought maybe someone had broken in. I was glad Herr Frank came in with me. Just in case someone was still lurking.’

  ‘No, that was me,’ Nina says. She hesitates briefly, waiting to see if Anita will mention finding any evidence of Saturday’s binge.

  But all Anita says is, ‘Okay, good.’

  ‘And it’s Kommissar Franzen, not Frank,’ Nina adds quietly, and then opens the door to the examination room.

  He is sitting in a chair close to the window, looking out. He must have moved the chair over there. He turns his head quickly as she enters.

  ‘You startled me,’ he says, although he doesn’t look startled.

  Nina places the files on her desk. ‘I’m sorry,’ she says. ‘I didn’t mean to.’

  He turns away to look out of the window again. ‘I have a feeling it’ll be a harsh winter, this year,’ he says. Nina waits for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t.

  ‘Herr Franzen, I’m very busy today,’ she says finally. ‘What can I do for you?’

  He turns, gets up from his chair and carries it back to its original spot in front of the desk. He gestures for her to take a seat behind the desk, and then sits down himself. Nina bends and switches on the computer.

  ‘I went to see Frau Lehmholz on Friday,’ he says.

  Nina sits up. ‘Oh? What did she say? Did she tell you about the man she saw at Marie’s flat?’

  ‘Frau Lehmholz thought Kommissar Maslowski was Russian,’ Franzen says, ignoring her questions. ‘It appears she isn’t too fond of Russians.’

  ‘She was here at the end of the war. A lot of German women of her generation aren’t too fond of Russians, particularly the men.’

  ‘His parents are from Poland, actually. Poznań, I believe.’

  Nina sighs. ‘Herr Franzen, I do wish you’d come to the point.’ She gestures at the pile of patient files.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he says and gives her a shy smile. ‘My mind is a little slow this morning.’

  Perhaps he was up late last night with that woman. She feels sure he’s dissembling, but still it annoys her that this thought stings.

  ‘I spoke to Frau Lehmholz,’ he continues. ‘She confirmed what you told me and gave me a description – albeit a rather hazy one – of the man she saw with Marie. We’re following it up.’

  ‘Good. So what happens now? What about Fraunhofer?’

  Franzen takes his TicTacs out of his pocket and puts two in his mouth. He doesn’t offer her any. ‘The investigation is ongoing,’ he says. ‘I’m afraid I can’t divulge any more details, other than to say that we will be interviewing him again.’

  ‘But he’s not the father.’

  ‘No.’

  Nina looks at the clock in the corner of the computer screen. ‘I’m sorry, Herr Franzen, I really have to get to work now.’ She stands up.

  ‘Of course,’ he says. ‘Thank you for your time. I’ll be in touch as soon as I have something more concrete to tell you.’

  Nina accompanies him to the door. ‘Do you go there often?’ The words tumble out before she can stop them.

  ‘Go where?’

  ‘To Café Bilderbuch. Last Saturday, I saw you there.’

  ‘Oh, so you did. No.’ He shrugs. ‘It was my first visit. Nice place, isn’t it? Great food.’

  ‘Yes.’ She realises she’s waiting for him to mention who the woman was. A few seconds pass, and she knows he isn’t going to. ‘Well, goodbye.’

  ‘Goodbye, Dr Bergmann. I’ll be in touch.’ He opens the door.

  ‘One more thing,’ she says.

  He stops. ‘Yes?’

  ‘I’m just curious why you came by in person. You could have told me this on the phone.’

  Franzen smiles as if pleasantly surprised. ‘I was in the neighbourhood.’

  *

  During the course of the morning, Nina confirms three pregnancies – a record number in one day. Two of the women are close to forty, both of them expecting for the first time and who came prepared with a catalogue of questions regarding exercise, diet, vitamins and nuchal scans. Their efforts to appear knowledgeable and on a par with Nina’s professional expertise only served to make them seem a little desperate and over-anxious; a stark contrast to the younger mum-to-be, a twenty-five-year-old who beamed as she told Nina she was looking forward to holding the baby in her arms.

  Nina is not immune to the irony. But she hasn’t yet decided whether Sebastian’s outrageous suggestion was sincere, or a bizarre clutching at straws. And she doesn’t want to analyse it further.

  As Frau Bader, her final patient for the morning, climbs out of the examination chair, it occurs to Nina that it’s over two years since she had a smear test herself. At the same time, she wonders if she cares. Frau Bader crosses the room towards the changing screen, and Nina takes a seat behind the desk.

  The quiet calm of the clinic is abruptly broken by sudden shouting coming from the waiting room outside. A man’s voice, harsh and angry. Then Anita’s. The sound of a scuffle and the word ‘police’ stands out, then the door swings open and a man rushes in. He’s young, scruffily dressed, and looks as though he’s either drunk, high or hasn’t slept for a while. He stares wildly around the room.

  ‘You!’ he shouts, pointing at Nina.

  Anita runs in behind him, grabs his shoulder but he jolts her away. ‘Get out! Now!’ she shouts. And to Nina: ‘I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop him.’

  Nina jumps up, dizzied by this unexpected turn of events. ‘Call the police,’ she instructs as calmly as she can. Anita nods and backs out of the room. Nina looks over towards the changing area. Through the gap between the screen and the floor she can see Frau Bader pulling on her jeans in a hurry. The man follows her gaze. Before she can act, he steps towards the screen and pulls it down. Frau Bader lets out a short shriek.

  ‘Get out, bitch,’ he barks at her.

  Frau Bader, one arm now inside her jumper, the other still out, throws a horrified, hesitant glance at Nina.

  ‘You should leave,’ Nina tells her, trying to sound both reassuring and more confident than she feels.

  Frau Bader grabs her handbag from the floor and runs out. The man turns to face Nina.

  ‘You,’ he says again. He takes a few steps towards her. He isn’t too steady on his feet.

  Nina remains standing behind the relative safety of the desk. Her heart is thumping. ‘This is an examination room,’ she says, trying to keep her voice steady. ‘I would like you to leave.’

  ‘I bet you would, you bitch,’ he says, taking another step forward, so that he’s right across the desk from her. ‘Poking around in other women’s cunts. Examining them. D’you get off on that?’ He jabs the air with his finger. ‘Do you? Eh? You’re fucking sick!’

  Nina retreats instinctively and bumps into the wall behind. Feeling trapped, she forces herself to take a step forward. ‘Please leave,’ she says, aware that her voice is shaking now. ‘My receptionist has called the police.’

  With surprising speed, the man steps around the desk and grab
s her right arm. He twists it behind her back, painfully. Nina cries out. He’s standing so close that his belly and groin are touching her, and beyond him, she can see several women – her clients – peering in from the waiting room.

  ‘You talked to my wife,’ he snarls. ‘I want to know where that whore is.’

  He jerks her arm up a fraction, pulling down on her wrist at the same time. She’s afraid it might snap.

  ‘Yes, it’s me,’ he says. His face is very close to hers, his breath rank.

  ‘Herr Thiel,’ Nina says, her voice strangely high-pitched, but determined not to cede control. ‘I don’t know where your wife is. Please let me go. You’re hurting me.’

  ‘That’s the plan, bitch.’ He smiles nastily. ‘I’ll ask you again. Where’s my fucking wife?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she repeats.

  At that moment, she hears Anita’s voice. ‘I’ve called the police,’ she says, and Nina can tell she’s trying to sound confident, authoritative. ‘They’ll be here any minute. Let her go.’

  Thiel twists Nina’s arm a little further, making her gasp. Then he lets go. ‘I’m going to find that whore,’ he spits, his face so close now that his nose touches hers. ‘And see how she likes her examination then.’ He turns, knocking his shoulder hard against Anita’s on his way out. Nina’s legs start to shake uncontrollably and she slides to the floor.

  Anita rushes towards her and crouches down. ‘Oh Nina,’ she says, her eyes full of tears. ‘I’m so sorry. I couldn’t stop him. I threatened to call the police, but he completely ignored me.’

  ‘You did far more than you needed to.’ Nina rubs her shoulder, then her wrist. She finds she can’t control the shaking. ‘Could you get me a glass of water, please?’ she asks, wiping her face with her sleeve. ‘Thank you.’

  Anita nods. As she gets up, she says, ‘I’ve sent the other patients away. I didn’t think you’d –’

  ‘Yes. That was the right thing to do.’ Nina hears a police siren on the street outside. ‘Could you let them in, please? Give me a minute to get myself together.’

  ‘Okay,’ Anita murmurs, and leaves.

  *

  Sebastian brings Nina a mug of vegetable broth. He hands it to her, with a warning that it’s hot, and props up the pillow behind her back, like a nurse with a sick patient.

  ‘I spoke to Lea’s mum,’ he says. ‘She said she’s happy to have Bekka overnight.’

  ‘On a school night?’

  He sits down on the edge of the bed. ‘I’m sure Frau Heitlinger will get them into bed at a decent hour. Kai’s fast asleep. He was out like a light even before I left his room.’

  Nina smiles. ‘I’m glad.’ She blows on the broth, takes a sip. The trembling she’s felt since the attack has subsided, and she’s thankful the day is over. She gave a statement to the police in her office, informing them of Jessica’s injuries and the threat Thiel made against her, and confirming that, yes, she wants to press charges against him. They, in turn, promised to contact her as soon as they have any information as to his or his wife’s whereabouts.

  Sebastian looks at his watch. ‘I’d better walk Bekka round before it gets too late,’ he says.

  Nina sits up. ‘I’ll just pop down and say goodbye, then. Let her know I’ll be fine and not to worry.’

  Sebastian shakes his head. ‘Do you think that’s wise? Not to be harsh, baby, but you look a bit of a fright.’ He reaches across and squeezes her shoulder. ‘Best if you rest up for tonight. Things’ll feel different in the morning, once you’ve had a good sleep and a shower.’

  Nina’s hand goes up to her unwashed hair. ‘Bekka won’t mind how I look.’

  ‘I know, I didn’t mean it like that. But you’re still totally shaken up. Kids can be very sensitive to that sort of thing and Bekka’s less likely to worry if she knows you’re recovering.’ He laughs gently. ‘I guess it’s true, doctors really do make the worst patients.’

  ‘I suppose.’ He’s right. The trembling she’s felt since the attack has receded, but it’s left her weak and jangled. ‘Tell her I love her, then.’

  Sebastian leans down and gives her a peck on the cheek, then tiptoes out the room.

  The clock on the bedside table says 8:20. She’s exhausted, but horribly still full of adrenaline and her mind is racing. The phone rings. Her heart falls into a pocket of air, making her momentarily nauseous.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Good evening, Dr Bergmann. This is Alex Franzen.’

  It’s the first time she’s heard him say his first name. Alex.

  ‘I hope I’m not disturbing you,’ he says. ‘Colleagues told me about today’s incident at your practice, and wanted to make sure everything was okay. Have you seen a doctor?’

  ‘That wasn’t necessary,’ Nina replies. ‘I – he didn’t really hurt me. I mean, he hurt me, but there’s no lasting damage. A twisted shoulder.’

  ‘Perhaps you should see a doctor, anyway,’ he says, sounding genuinely concerned. ‘To be on the safe side.’

  ‘Well, I am a doctor.’

  There is a pause.

  ‘I was very frightened,’ she admits, her voice no more than a whisper.

  ‘I can imagine. I’m so sorry this has happened to you. Listen –’ He pauses again.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.’

  ‘They said they’d call me as soon as they know more.’ She can hear the desperation in her voice.

  ‘So I’ve heard,’ he says. ‘I’ve spoken to my colleagues. They have an ID, his address and car registration. I’m sure it’s just a matter of hours before they find him. And if you have any questions, about the status of the enquiry – anything – please call me.’

  ‘That’s very kind of you. Thanks.’

  ‘Well, I’d better let you get an early night, then,’ he says.

  ‘Yes. Thank you, Herr Franzen.’ She wants to call him Alex, but doesn’t dare. ‘Goodbye.’

  She switches off her phone and the bedside light and yawns. She’s feeling tired enough to sleep now, and she doesn’t want to risk waking herself up again by going to brush her teeth. She stares up at the darkened ceiling and hears a car pull up outside. Sebastian must have decided to drive Bekka round to Lea’s. She turns onto her side and closes her eyes. The doorbell rings. Once, twice.

  19

  By the time Nina reaches the bottom of the stairs, the ringing has turned to insistent hammering on the front door.

  ‘Who’s there?’ she half-calls, half-hisses, torn between yelling as loudly as she can, and hoping the noise won’t have woken Kai. ‘I’ve called the police.’

  The voice from the other side is muffled, but she recognises it immediately. ‘Don’t be ridiculous! It’s us.’

  Nina opens the door. Her mother rushes in and takes her hands in her own. They’re freezing cold. Behind her, Nina’s father, Hans, has his mobile phone out.

  ‘I was just about to call the police,’ he tells her sternly.

  ‘Oh dear god, Nina,’ Antonia says. ‘Why on earth didn’t you phone us?’

  Nina stares at her, uncomprehending.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell us what happened? If Hans hadn’t rung Sebastian –’ Her mother’s face falls in alarm. ‘First Marie, then this.’

  Nina reaches out to give her hands a squeeze. ‘Shh, Mama, it’s all right. I’m fine, look.’ She attempts a smile, but it’s too much effort. ‘No need to worry. He gave me a scare, that’s all.’

  ‘You should’ve alerted us, Nina,’ Hans says. He walks past them into the hall and takes off his coat. ‘We have a right to know.’

  Antonia holds out her coat for Nina. She hangs it up and follows them into the living room.

  ‘I rang Sebastian earlier,’ her father says. ‘To ask him if he’d have a look over my speech.’ He pulls several sheets of paper out of his briefcase. ‘And he told me what happened at the practice. We came straight away.’

  Antonia looks around. ‘
Isn’t he here?’

  Nina is still standing at the door. ‘No. He should be back any minute. Why don’t you, um, take a seat.’ She doesn’t really want them to stay, but Sebastian can deal with them when he gets back.

  ‘I’ll have a whisky, if you will,’ her father announces, ignoring a look from his wife. ‘The Laphroaig. I’m sure Sebastian won’t mind.’

  ‘No, and I’m sure he won’t mind fixing your drink when he comes,’ she snaps, longing only for the dark and peace of bed.

  Antonia rolls her eyes. ‘I can see you’re upset, Nina, but there’s no need to be uncivil.’ She crosses to the drinks cabinet and pours a small measure of whisky for her husband.

  Nina, deflated by her outburst, sits down heavily on the sofa.

  ‘I don’t know what’s becoming of this country,’ her mother says quietly. ‘Such brutality.’ She looks at Nina. ‘You’re very vulnerable, you know, alone in that practice.’

  ‘There’s more violence in a hospital,’ Nina says sharply. She’s tired and annoyed that she’s being put on the defensive.

  ‘In the casualty department, perhaps,’ Hans says. ‘Certainly not on the labour ward.’

  ‘And they have security staff in hospitals,’ her mother adds. She looks at Hans, then back at Nina. ‘Perhaps you should see about employing a security guard, Nina.’

  ‘That’s not going to happen, Mama,’ she says, adding, ‘I couldn’t afford it anyway.’

  Antonia sits up straight. ‘Well, that shouldn’t be an issue. Papa and I would be only too glad to pay for someone, if –’

  Nina slaps the armrest, angry to have walked straight into her mother’s trap. ‘Enough, Mama! I don’t want to discuss this now.’

  Antonia presses her lips together, her face closes down, but she doesn’t respond.

  They sit in bristling silence for some minutes. Hans takes a sip of whisky and moves the topic on. ‘Your mother and I have been thinking about what to do with Marie’s money,’ he says. ‘The fifteen thousand euros.’

  Antonia nods, a haughty lift to her features. ‘We’d like to give it to the children. Seven and a half thousand each. For their savings accounts.’