1503954692 (10 page)

‘Look at you in that uniform,’ Volker said as he led Johann to their table. He still had his arm tightly around Johann’s shoulders.

‘I could say the same thing about you,’ Johann said. ‘I hardly recognised you.’

Volker laughed. ‘So we’re grown men at last, and it’s no longer make-believe. We’re not toy soldiers any more, Johann.’

‘No indeed,’ Johann said, with a degree of sobriety that clearly surprised his friend.

‘Then why the long face? This is what we’ve been training for, Johann. Surely you must embrace the chance to fight for the Fatherland—for our
Führer
.’

‘Yes, of course,’ Johann said. He noticed the rank insignia on Volker’s tunic then, and he turned the conversation back to it. ‘But what’s this? You’re a captain?’

‘I told you my father could pull strings,’ Volker said. ‘He had me promoted to
Hauptsturmführer
, which means, my good friend, that for the first time since we met, I have advanced ahead of you—and by two ranks!’ He laughed at the notion. ‘I’m sure you will have the opportunity to climb as high as
Brigadeführer
by the time the war is over.’

As they arrived at the table, Volker finally let go of Johann. Both men were still smiling, only now Johann was smiling at Ava.

‘Good evening,’ he said, with a slight bow of his head.

‘Hello, Johann,’ Ava said. ‘You look well.’

Before Johann could continue the conversation, Volker interrupted, and it seemed that he couldn’t get his cigarette out of his mouth quick enough to do so.

‘Johann, this is the cousin I’ve been telling you so much about. Trudi, this is my best friend, Johann Langner.’ Volker slapped Johann’s back again. ‘And I’ve told Trudi all about you, too.’ He added with another laugh.

Johann smiled and bowed his head again.

‘Well?’ Volker added, ‘Isn’t Trudi the beauty I said she was?’

‘Yes, of course,’ Johann said, not wishing to offend.

Trudi offered him the back of her hand and Johann bent low and kissed it. As he rose again, he smiled more fully. ‘Now that I’ve met you, I see that your cousin’s description does you no justice.’

Such flattery might have embarrassed any young woman, but his words merely caused Trudi’s smile to flourish further.

‘Well, sit down, sit down,’ Volker said, taking the seat next to Ava, placing Johann beside Trudi, opposite Ava, which Johann didn’t mind at all. It was not, after all, a very large table, and it meant he could look at Ava as much as he liked without making it obvious.

‘I hope you don’t mind my choice of restaurant,’ Volker said. ‘It’s a little artists’ restaurant my father introduced me to. Do you know that he has sat at this very table with Adolf Hitler himself? Our
Führer
is also a keen artist. Perhaps that’s why he likes the place so much.’

Johann was only half listening. His eyes were on Ava, taking her in. He liked what she had done with her hair. He was sure he’d only ever seen her wearing it up before. Now it fell to her shoulders, with a clip or pin of some kind holding it off her face to one side. For a moment he was able to block all else out, to the extent that he felt as though they were the only two people there.

‘It’s very good to see you again, Ava,’ he said, quickly adding, ‘I’ve missed Munich,’ when what he really wanted to say was that he had missed her.

Ava’s lips parted to answer, but it was Volker who spoke again, shattering Johann’s illusion.

‘You won’t find the city much changed from the last time you were here, my friend. Although I’m pleased to see there are now fewer Jews.’ He took up his wine glass and laughed. ‘And the air is fresher for it, I can tell you.’

Volker had left the officer training school in Bad Tölz a full month ahead of Johann, and he had so far told Johann nothing of his posting.

‘You have a position in Munich?’ Johann asked, feeling a wave of jealousy wash over him at the idea that his friend should be stationed so close to Ava, while he was off fighting, heaven knows where.

‘I wanted to surprise you,’ Volker said. ‘I’m to help manage the concentration camp at Dachau as
Schutzhaftlagerführer
under the camp commandant,
Sturmbannführer
Alexander Piorkowski.’ He laughed to himself. ‘And I’m glad to see that our labour camps are being used for the good of the
Reich
. I’ll be overseeing the workers who are not only increasing our munitions, but also making our uniforms!’

Johann knew enough about his friend’s new role to understand that to be
Schutzhaftlagerführer
was to be part of the SS-
Totenkopfverbände
—the Death’s Head Units who took their orders direct from Berlin.

He did not envy his friend the position, so far from the fight. It was certainly no duty for a soldier to his mind. He wanted to change the subject, or risk spoiling the evening before it had begun.

‘I see you’ve had your hair cut very short, Volker,’ he said, for want of something better to say.

Volker began to smile. ‘After all these years, I thought a fresh look was in order.’ Unexpectedly, he reached across to Johann and ruffled his hair. He laughed. ‘And I decided it was time I had a different haircut to you,
Blödmann
!’ He reached for the wine bottle and emptied it into Johann’s glass. ‘Drink with me, Johann! Who knows when the chance will come again?’

Everyone raised their glasses and drank, and Johann watched Volker drain his wine. It was becoming clear to him that his friend had already consumed most of the bottle, but it seemed he had not yet had enough. With his arm outstretched, Volker lowered his glass to the table and set it down with a thump. He picked up the empty bottle and spun around on his chair.

‘Herr Deutelmoser! More wine, if you please!’ To the gathering, he added, ‘We might as well have a few drinks before dinner. I’m sure we all have much to catch up on.’

A moment later another bottle of wine was brought to the table by a man in shirt sleeves and a black waistcoat, who looked to be in his late forties.

‘And how is your father, Herr Strobel?’ the man said as he proceeded to uncork the wine. ‘I trust he is well?’

‘I expect he is tired, Joseph. He was a busy man before the war began. Now he is a very busy man.’

Deutelmoser poured the wine, and with a bow he left them to it.

‘Herr Deutelmoser is the proprietor,’ Volker said. ‘I insisted he serve us tonight, just as he always serves Herr Hitler whenever he and his entourage visits.’ In a lower voice, he added, ‘Although I should think he would at least wear a jacket when he serves our
Führer
.’

‘It’s very warm in here,’ Ava said. ‘I’m glad I chose to wear one of my summer dresses tonight.’

‘You look very pretty in it,’ Johann said.

‘Yes, the pattern suits you,’ added Volker. ‘It’s a little plain, but I like the flowers.’

Johann doubted that his friend ever spared a thought for such things.

‘Do you like
my
dress, Volker?’ Trudi asked.

Volker just smiled at her, at little dismissively, Johann thought. He turned to her. ‘Your dress is also very pretty,’ he said with a warmer smile. ‘It puts me in mind of the ocean.’

Trudi giggled and sat forward on her chair. ‘It’s pure silk,’ she said, turning her shoulders from side to side to show it off better.

Volker topped up Ava’s wine glass, even though it was still quite full. ‘Do you own a silk dress?’ he asked her.

‘No, I—’

‘Then you must allow me to buy you one,’ Volker interrupted. ‘Cotton is all very well in a place like this, but—’

‘You’re very kind, Volker, but I couldn’t, really.’

‘Why ever not? It’s just a dress.’

Johann knew the gesture meant more to Volker than that, and he thought Ava knew it, too. He saw that his friend’s brow had set into an unpleasant furrow at the thought of Ava refusing him, and not for the first time that evening he thought that his friend was not his usual self. He had seen this expression on Volker’s face many times before, and nothing good had ever followed. Now it was Johann who topped up Volker’s glass, which was already in need of it.

‘Tell me, Ava,’ he said, determined to change the subject. ‘How are your parents?’

Volker sat back, and Johann saw that he was staring at him with that same furrowed expression, making it clear to Johann that his interruption had annoyed his friend.

Johann thought he heard Ava sigh, perhaps out of relief, as she turned to him. The smile had returned to her lips.

‘They’re both well,’ she said. ‘Although business is not as good as it used to be. You remember I said my papa was a music teacher?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Well, perhaps there’s little call for learning music when there’s a war on, although the business has been in decline for some years now.’

Volker scoffed, puffing cigarette smoke across the table. ‘If your papa was in the habit of teaching music to Jews, as I’ve heard, then it’s no wonder.’ He stubbed out his cigarette and turned into the restaurant again, as if looking for the attention of Herr Deutelmoser. ‘Shall we eat? I’m getting hungry.’

Menus were brought and meals were ordered, and by the time the entrées were served, Johann was glad to see that Volker had settled down to his usual, convivial self again. A pleasant evening ensued, although Johann soon confirmed his earlier thoughts concerning the real reason Volker had invited his cousin to dine with them. He also picked up on a peculiar dynamic that seemed to exist between Volker and his cousin. At every opportunity, Volker would encourage Johann and Trudi into conversation together, confirming to Johann that Trudi was there purely to distract Johann so that Volker could have Ava to himself.

Trudi, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Volker’s machinations. To the contrary, she had barely stopped looking at Volker all evening, just as Johann had not stopped looking at Ava—and he had several times caught her looking back. Trudi’s affection for Volker seemed utterly transparent, and Johann was glad to see it, not least because, while Johann found Trudi as easy to talk to as she was on the eye, he thought her very immature, which made perfect sense to him when he discovered during the course of the evening that she had only recently turned seventeen.

At just after eleven, they left the Osteria Bavaria in high spirits, Volker having been the centre of attention throughout the meal—not that Johann minded. He had a few days in Munich before he had to join his unit, and he planned to make them count where Ava Bauer was concerned. She had already agreed to meet him at the Park Café on Sophienstrasse the following afternoon, and as they all made their way along Schellingstrasse in the cool night air, heading for a bar Volker had suggested they visit for a nightcap, Johann was already looking forward to it.

He watched Ava walking ahead of him beneath the lamplight, and for a moment he imagined how good it would feel to hold her soft hand in his. As it was, it was Volker who walked beside her, while he walked with Trudi, which again was all to Volker’s plan as far as Johann was concerned. Every now and then Ava would turn back to Johann with a smile that was as much to say that she would rather be beside him. At least, that’s what Johann chose to believe she was thinking.

‘You like your cousin, don’t you, Trudi?’ Johann asked her, speaking quietly so that Volker couldn’t hear him.

‘Is it that obvious?’

Johann smiled and gave a small, almost sympathetic laugh. ‘I’m afraid it is.’

Trudi sighed. ‘Oh, dear. He must think me very foolish. He’s usually very affectionate towards me, but it seems his heart is now set on someone else.’

Johann knew it to be true, but he would not hurt Trudi’s feelings any further by telling her as much. He cast his attention ahead and saw that Volker was almost laughing as he spoke to Ava about something he hadn’t been able to hear. Ava seemed to be enjoying his company, but there was that look over her shoulder again, and he fancied the smile on her lips was for him. A moment later, Ava glanced back again, and it seemed to interrupt whatever it was that Volker was saying because he suddenly stopped talking. His face soured as it had in the restaurant earlier.

‘Here, Johann,’ he said. ‘Why don’t you walk with Ava. I can see you would both prefer it.’

‘Volker,’ Ava began, as if to apologise, but Volker cut her short.

‘No, no. I must insist.’

As Johann and Trudi caught up to them, Volker grabbed Johann’s arm and pulled him closer. Johann couldn’t help but see the funny side of the matter. Here was Volker having invited his beautiful cousin along in the hope of beguiling Johann away from Ava, and yet Trudi was so smitten with him that she’d had eyes for no one else all evening. His friend’s plan had well and truly backfired. The irony of the situation made Johann laugh.

‘What is it?’ Volker asked. ‘What’s so funny, eh?’

‘It’s nothing,’ Johann said, trying not to smile now that he could see how serious his friend had suddenly become. ‘Let’s go and get that nightcap.’

‘No, really. I should like to know what it is about me you find so amusing.’

‘It’s not you Volker. Look, forget about it. I’m sorry I laughed. I didn’t mean anything.’

Johann put a hand on Volker’s shoulder to appease him, but Volker knocked it sharply away again.

‘I won’t be laughed at,’ Volker said. His hand wandered to the dagger on his belt. ‘If you were not my closest friend, I—’

‘What?’ Johann said. ‘What would you do? Would you pull out your dagger and stab me in the heart with it? You know you can’t beat me in a straight fight any more—dagger or otherwise. You would do better to try and shoot me. And over what?’

Ava came between them. ‘Stop it, the pair of you! You’ve had too much to drink and now you’re squabbling like children.’ She moved towards Trudi and linked arms with her. ‘I’m walking the rest of the way with Trudi, and if you’ve not settled your differences by the time we reach the bar, I’m going straight home.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Johann said. He turned to Volker. ‘Let’s forget about it. What do you say? Blame it on the wine.’

Volker scoffed. ‘It’s forgotten,’ he said, but as they set off again, Johann doubted it was. All the way to the bar, Volker didn’t say another word, and although Johann did well to hide it, his friend had unnerved him. While he’d witnessed Volker’s temper many times, and seen the often bloody results that followed, he’d never been on the receiving end of it before.