Page 29 of Library of Forbidden Books

Helene groped for a suitable explanation. “I’ve just come to tend to some matters . . .”

“I work nearby, in that building there,” he pointed. “If you ever need anything, my name is Wilhelm Schmidt.” The officer took off his hat to bid her farewell, then kept walking down the street.

Helene felt panic rising in her chest. Had he seen her leave the Secret Library? She tried to banish the thought and prepare herself for a calm evening with Kaiser. Derek was out of town, and she did not know which day he would return.

The apartment was dark when she walked in, but Kaiser’s meows greeted her.

“I’m back, kitty. You’re not alone anymore.”

Just then Helene’s senses registered the presence of a body in one of the chairs. She gave a startled scream, then realized it was Derek.

“Derek, for goodness’ sake, what are you doing here in the dark?”

His hand lifted a few inches as if to wave, but he gave no answer.

She leaned over and kissed his forehead. It was chilled despite the July heat. “Honey, what’s going on? I didn’t know you’d be back, or I would’ve left out some food for you.”

“I’m not hungry,” he croaked out.

Helene was worried. “Will you tell me what’s going on?” she begged.

“Von Blomberg and I have been in Munich.”

“Munich?” she asked to coax him along. Helene never knew exactly where Derek’s work for the general took him.

Derek’s face was hardly visible in the dim light. “Yes. It was horrible. Dozens of people were killed. It was a massacre.”

“You’re scaring me, Derek. What happened? Are you hurt? Did you have to . . .?” All of Helene’s senses were on heightened alert.

“No, not me.” Derek was nearly panting with the effort to speak. “Hitler has jailed or killed the senior leadership of the SA.”

“Wouldn’t that be a good thing? They’re brutal and do terrible things.”

Helene’s response did not surprise Derek. He leaned forward and tried to explain. “You don’t understand. Hitler gave the orders for his closest friend, Ernst Röhm, to be executed. What would he do to us, then? Even von Blomberg was speechless when he saw it.”

Helene suddenly saw the situation through Derek’s eyes.

No one was safe, no matter what position they held or how chummy they were with the Nazis. Hitler would do anything to stay in power. The military was not going to stop him, just as the politicians had not.

Germany was a sinking ship.

Chapter 17

Betrayal

Berlin

January 10, 1935

Helene had been feeling under the weather for several days, especially in the morning. The flu was ever present, and she figured she had picked up something during Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations with their families. Her grandparents and most of the Jewish community had marked the holidays discreetly that year.

It had taken several weeks after the trip to Munich for Derek to recover his spirits. He was planning on leaving the army, though he did not know what else he could do for work. Opening a jazz club when nearly all of Berlin’s cabarets and nightclubs were closing would be impossible. Besides, he could not envision working nights when Helene was home.

That morning on the trolley, Helene was overcome with a wave of nausea and had to get off at the next stop. She walked the rest of the way to the library through the freezing cold. Her teeth were chattering by the time she arrived. Lena gasped and led Helene to the coal-burning stove, rubbing her arms to help get her warm.

“Why in the world did you walk in this weather?”

“I felt like I was going to vomit, so I thought fresh air would help,” Helene answered once her jaw stopped shaking so violently. It felt both good and painful to have her hands close to the stove’s warmth.