The Chemist's Shop

by Richard Brumer

  Why were they left wide open? Did Michael have his plan so carefully worked out to avoid the possibility of his house burning down?

  The carpet below the windows was wet and dirty. She closed them and noticed the house still had a musty odor despite the fresh air pouring in. She stood in the living room and looked around. To the right was the dining area with two large windows facing a now desolate flower garden bordered by green hemlocks.

  A large kitchen with gleaming appliances had a door leading to the outside. Two thick slices of stale brown bread covered with white and green mold sat on the counter. She wrapped a paper towel around them and threw them in the trash. She walked through the rest of the house, closing more windows as she went along. There were two full baths, two bedrooms, and a large study with books taking up most of the wall space. There was an LP recording of Pictures at an Exhibition alongside the record player and some Beatles and Bee Gee recordings. Nothing out of the ordinary.

  Why didn’t the police tape this house off as a crime scene? Maybe they had, but she was so focused on the garage when she visited previously that she hadn’t noticed. Maybe they had already removed the tape or never marked it off at all. It was a mistake not to have asked Officer Baker about that, but whether the house was taped off or not wouldn’t impact the outcome of the case at this time.

  The main question for Brenda was why Michael hadn’t told her about this misplaced document when they first met. Was there something he was hiding? If it was so important, why couldn’t he remember exactly where it was? He’d uttered something about animals in passing, but that made no sense.

  Questions only brought more questions without answers. If this important document existed, how could he have kept it hidden all these years? How was he able to keep it at all? Wasn’t he ever searched at Auschwitz? Something within him must have told him to take it. Maybe it was his intuition. Maybe he’d already formulated some kind of plan when he was in Auschwitz and waited for an opportunity to use it for his revenge. It would have been a long wait. If there was no document, there was no Stern, leaving only Harry Sanders.

  Brenda’s search was methodical. She opened drawers that were filled with thick folders. She opened and examined each one of them. Some contained papers written in Hungarian, others handwritten drafts of his books, written in English. The hours passed into the night. No document. She searched for something to eat and found a can of tuna. That would be safe. She opened it and ate it out of the can.

  The thank you note from Harry Sanders was in the drawer next to the sink. She had to dig for it, just as Michael had said, and found it under the can openers and other kitchen tools along with a mass of papers. Brenda read it and slipped it into her briefcase.

  She returned to his study. One portion of the wall had several framed university degrees and testimonials to his accomplishments in science and teaching. Books were everywhere—novels, biographies, poetry, and books about pharmacology, which showed Michael Ross’s name as the author. On some of the books, the author’s name was Miklos Rosen. They were probably published internationally years ago, but he must have found them in some of the bookstores. Miklos Rosen…his name sounded as if it was from another time.

  Starting at the top shelf, Brenda began the tedious task of opening books to search for the document. Her fingers ran through poems by Emily Dickinson, and she stopped to read one of them she remembered from her high school English class. It was about success. The poem pointed out that only those who have suffered defeat can truly understand success.

  Brenda had to move faster. Going through each heavy book of the Encyclopedia Britannica took over an hour. She read passages from other books but forced herself not to dwell on the content and stay focused on her search for documents inside them.

  She skimmed the pages of Shakespeare, books by Scott Fitzgerald, and novels by Hemingway. Michael’s tastes seemed to be endless. One of Brenda’s favorite books was there too, a leather-bound copy of Moby Dick. She smiled when she read the opening: “Call me Ishmael.” She remembered reading those words so many years ago and reminded herself to make time to read the book again.

  She continued to search until she read a passage from a book without looking at the title. “All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.” She flipped through the pages and, somewhere near the middle, a yellowed sheet of paper fell to the floor. As she reached down to pick it up, she saw a picture of a young man in a Nazi officer’s uniform staring up at her. Underneath the picture was the man’s name—Major Hans Stern.

  The document was written in German. Brenda turned to the cover of the book. Animal Farm by George Orwell.

  Chapter 26

  On Monday morning, Brenda Coleman handed three documents to Mr. Weisman for his perusal prior to asking the judge to admit them. Weisman took about twenty minutes to examine them, made a few notes, and returned them to the defense table.

  Michael was recalled to the stand for direct questioning.

  “Professor Ross,” Brenda began, “The prosecution has stated there was no record of SS officer, Hans Stern, or anyone by that name who had served in a military capacity at Auschwitz concentration camp during 1941-1945, which includes the time in 1944, when you were confined there. During the last court session, you said you had proof to the contrary and that Hans Stern was, in fact, an SS officer at Auschwitz. Is that a correct statement?”

  “Yes, Ms. Coleman.”

  Brenda handed the document to Michael and asked, “Is this the document in question that you say you took from a folder in the office of the SS in Auschwitz?”

  Michael looked at it. “It is, Ms. Coleman.”

  “Thank you. You may step down, professor.”

  “Your Honor, at this time we would like to offer into evidence the defense’s exhibits, numbers five, six, and seven, which support the defendant’s claim that Hans Stern was, in fact, an SS officer at Auschwitz and that Harry Sanders and Hans Stern are one and the same.”

  David Weisman stood and shouted. “Your Honor, I ask the court to disallow it. I have examined these documents and found no indication to show that they are authentic. They may have been forged or altered and the picture affixed to the document at a later time. In addition, the signature on the document cannot be verified to show that Hans Stern and Harry Sanders are the same person.”

  Ms. Coleman addressed the court. “Your Honor, with your permission, I would like to explain the significance of these exhibits. The first document, Exhibit Five, was in the defendant’s possession and is stamped Wichtige, which means ‘important’ in German. It shows a picture of an SS officer in full uniform and, below it, the name Hans Stern, who held the rank of major. The document, written in German, describes Hans Stern’s background, date and place of birth, along with his achievements, medals, and honors as a Nazi officer and is signed by Hans Stern.

  “The second document is an English translation of Exhibit Five and is labeled Exhibit Six. It includes a notarized affidavit setting forth the qualifications of the translator and certification that the translation is fair and accurate. The third document, which I labeled Exhibit Seven, is a letter from Harry Sanders sent to Professor Ross’s address in Oneonta, New York. It is a note to Professor Ross thanking him in advance for the opportunity to play a scheduled game of chess with him several days later. It is signed Harry Sanders.”

  Brenda looked at the judge.

  “Anything else, Ms. Coleman?”

  “Your Honor, the document proves that Hans Stern was, in fact, an SS officer and a member of the Nazi party during World War II. He held the rank of major and was stationed in Auschwitz from 1941 until it was liberated by the Soviets in January, 1945.

  “Commandant Hoess, Major Stern, and others presumably destroyed these documents since they were not found in the German records at Auschwitz. However, Exhibit Five is an original document in the possession of the defense and represents a challenge to Mr. Weisman’s research, in which he claimed there was no information placi
ng Major Hans Stern at Auschwitz.”

  David Weisman stood and addressed the court, “Your Honor, I request that the defense’s exhibits not be placed into evidence because of their questionable authenticity. I am willing to accept the translation from German to English, but that has no relevance to the authenticity of the document.”

  Judge Jordan looked at the counselors.

  “I will accept all the defense’s exhibits, subject to authentication. Ms. Coleman, you may continue.”

  David Weisman took a deep breath and rolled his eyes.

  “Thank you, Your Honor. At this time, I would like to call Ms. Kelsey Albright to the stand, who will testify as to the authenticity of both documents. I contacted her over the weekend and asked her to provide her services relevant to these documents. She was kind enough to oblige.”

  Ms. Albright, an attractive blonde, about thirty-five, attired in a navy blue pinstriped business suit, approached the witness stand and was sworn.

  “Ms. Albright,” Brenda began, “would you please state your occupation for the court?”

  “I am a forensic document examiner and am associated with a firm called Forensic Dynamics International.”

  “Thank you. Would you please tell us what a forensic document examiner does and what kind of training is involved?”

  “My job is to study documents with respect to handwriting, typewriting, or printing and draw conclusions about a document’s authenticity, signature comparison, alterations, or any other issues that arise concerning the document’s legitimacy.

  “My training consisted of an intensive two-year program under the supervision of an established forensic document examiner. In addition, I have completed a graduate program in forensic science at Oklahoma State University, Class of 1958.”

  “Ms. Albright, you have before you the original document, labeled Exhibit Five, attesting to Hans Stern’s presence in Auschwitz as an SS officer. Will you please render your findings?”

  “I have made a complete study of the document and found that the paper it was written on was in use in Europe during the late thirties and mid-forties. The typewriter used also matched the machines used at that time.”

  “And how were you able to make such a determination?”

  “I used backlighting to decipher the manufacturer’s watermark on the paper, verifying the time period it was in use and the typeface design of the typewriter keys. They were all consistent with a typewriter capable of typing in the German language.”

  “Were other parts of Exhibit Five not altered in any way?”

  “There was no indication that the document was altered and I can say, with assurance, that the photograph was never removed or replaced.”

  “With respect to the signature, would you say it was authentic?”

  “I can say, with reasonable certainty, that the ink analysis and the type of ink used to sign the document was commonly in use in the forties. In addition, I checked for the authenticity of the ink by examining handwritten notes placed alongside the typical Nazi rubber stamp impression showing an eagle with its wings spread and standing on a globe of the world.

  “My conclusion is that the document and typewriter used were authentic for its time, along with the ink, paper, and writing instruments.”

  “What conclusion did you arrive at with respect to the signature, ‘Hans Stern,’ on the bottom of the document in question? Was it authentic?”

  “At first, I was not able to confirm with certainty that the signature on the document was made by this man. I never knew him and had no connection with this document. However, upon the examination of Exhibit Seven, a letter signed by Harry Sanders, I concluded that the signature on that personal letter was made by the same person who signed the document labeled Exhibit Five, Hans Stern.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I have been specifically trained in United States government forensic laboratories as a handwriting examiner by Dr. Manfred Zeigelman, a noted expert in the field. I have examined the signature and found that it has not been traced. I compared the signatures of Hans Stern on the German document with the signature on the letter addressed to Professor Ross and found strong identifying characteristics. Each signature has several of the same letters in each name and it was easy to conclude that the strong similarity between the ‘H’ and ‘S’ in each written signature proves that they were written by one and the same man.”

  “And you are certain of that?”

  “I am.”

  “Your witness, Mr. Weisman.”

  David Weisman approached the witness stand, stroking his chin. “Good morning, Ms. Albright. Would you tell the jury if the examination of documents is an exact science?”

  “I cannot say it is an exact science, but...”

  “So, you’re saying it is not an exact science? Is it is more of an art.”

  “No, sir, examiners are trained to make subjective conclusions based on a forensic examination of documents.”

  “So, these conclusions are not scientifically objective, but are merely personal observations?”

  “The defense objects. The prosecution is leading the witness. The use of the word ‘personal’ is his word and implies a judgment outside of forensics.”

  “Objection sustained. The jury will disregard the question.”

  Mr. Weisman continued. “While there are some credible aspects to your profession, Ms. Albright, is there a strong correlation between handwriting analysis and astrology?”

  “Absolutely not!” she said. “I would not compare the two. They are totally different.”

  “Ms. Albright, would you please tell the jury the type of certification that is required to be a forensic document examiner.”

  “There is no certification at the present time.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Albright.”

  The judge looked toward Brenda. “Redirect, Ms. Coleman?”

  “Yes, Your Honor.”

  Brenda Coleman approached the witness stand to question the witness following the redirect procedure.

  “Ms. Albright, in how many cases have you appeared as a forensic document examiner?”

  “About two hundred.”

  “In how many of those cases were your findings shown to be true and accurate by the court?”

  “When it came to detecting alterations, obliterations, and erasures, I would say all of them.”

  “And did you find any alterations, obliterations, or erasures with respect to the defense’s exhibits five and seven?”

  “No, ma’am. None.”

  “What conclusion did you arrive at with respect to the authenticity of the documents?”

  “I did not find any alterations of any kind and concluded that the documents were authentic.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Albright.”

  Brenda returned to the defense table, unsmiling.

  “How do you think it went with the document examiner?” Michael asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Brenda replied. “Weisman compared her work to astrology. I hope the jury didn’t buy into it. He knows how to turn a jury with just one question. Overall, I think we came out all right. Tomorrow will be our last day in court. You will take the stand again, Michael, and our psychiatrist will follow. Relax, you’ll do fine.”

  Judge Jordan adjourned the case until 10 a.m. the next morning.

  Chapter 27

  Michael returned to his cell. The events of the day ran through his mind.

  This has to end already. The trial should have been a one-day affair, but it’s now the center of attention for the entire country. Almost everyone must be on my side because I killed a Nazi. The skinheads aren’t, but they are a small minority and have little influence. It’s the law that counts, not public opinion, and certainly not the jury’s emotions. Why does my case have to be a cause célèbre and make headlines?

  Maybe, through me, everyone can identify with why people would want to take revenge on the Nazis. That could be, but there are other legal issue
s that have even more meaning and have nothing to do with the Nazis.

  I read about a case called Roe v. Wade that reached the Supreme Court on appeal. They put it on the back burner for now, but I think it, too, will soon make headlines. It’s about abortion, a human issue, and something we should have dealt with a long time ago. A woman should have the right to her own body. I’ll never understand human behavior.

  Albert was relocated to another cell and Michael claimed the lower bunk as his own. The mattress was so thin he could feel the sharp springs pushing up into his back. For the first time in over two months, Michael was alone. His mind was still consumed with Stern and the night of August 16. He relived Sterns last screams, repeatedly, in his mind. Was machst du? In some bizarre way, Stern’s cries gave him pleasure. Being alone gave him quiet time with Ilona.

  ***

  Dearest, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be with you for the past few days. The court case consumes me but being in jail doesn’t take me away from you. When I lost you and later learned you were in Paradise, I felt cursed by the distance between us, but now I feel blessed that I can enjoy the finer parts of our love that others with the privilege of nearness fail to notice.

  Our minds and hearts are joined for all eternity, a gift perhaps few can share. Thank you so much for loving me and being my wife.

  When I close my eyes to see you, images flood my mind and I’m taken back to our sweet world before the men in marching boots banged on our door and took our lives away.

  Terror, anger, and killing surrounded us—the opposite of our world, which was filled with love for each other and our little babies.

  Sit and talk with me for a while. I live in a country so different from Hungary or any place in Europe. There is freedom here in America, real freedom with nobody watching your every move.

  You know I am not a violent person, but I’m human, and the visions of you humiliated and in pain will always haunt me. There was nothing I could have done to help you then, and I felt anger toward myself for being so helpless. But when I came across Stern recently, I gave him the justice he deserved. Hans Stern is dead. I killed him, and he knew why he had to die. It was something that I had to do...for us.