Читать книгу The fat man - Wolfgang Armin Strauch - Страница 9

3. Chapter

In the lobby of a hotel, a fat man looked through the local and national newspapers. His accommodation was too primitive for him, so he had moved here to have breakfast. Benevolently, he found that the press did not consider it necessary to print his picture. In one of the papers, he found an obituary: "Unforgotten: Jadwiga Klimek and Tadeusz Klimek". This was followed by the life data. Only "Alina Klimek" was listed as the bereaved. The funeral date was next Tuesday.

He needed clarity. If he didn't want to live in fear and terror for the next few years, he had to take the chance. Breaking into Jadwiga's apartment had brought hardly anything. An old photo showing Jadwiga with a girl was everything. It was stupid to expose oneself to this risk. If the policeman had not been alone, he would now be in prison. The visit to the funeral seemed harmless to him. It was unlikely that anyone knew him.

If Eva were still alive, she would have been mentioned in the ad. The woman he had perceived as Eve could be her daughter. She bore an astonishing resemblance to her. But what did she know? The last certainty was missing.

He hoped that Eva would be talked about at the funeral service, since she was, after all, Klimek's daughter. After that, he would calmly take the train or consider further steps.

He opened the briefcase. He had completely fulfilled his task in Krakow. The list had become surprisingly long. He had rarely felt so comfortable since the war. Jadwiga's death was only one episode that he would soon forget. Much more important were the results of his research. The clients would be satisfied, and he would collect the reward.

The man drank up the rest of the coffee and paid.

In the church they had placed the two coffins side by side. Large photos showed the deceased. On the picture of Tadeusz Klimek he was in officer uniform with many medals. Jadwiga's photo was rather unimpressive. In a summer dress she looked down kindly on the mourners.

As agreed, friends of Alina's grandfather were sitting on the left. Many of them had appeared in military uniform with medals. On the right side, neighbors, acquaintances, and former work colleagues of Jadwiga had taken a seat. Alina had sat down in the front row. She had asked Andrzej and Sofia to accompany her.

Mazur had his boss give him special permission what was no problem, as he was off the case until further notice. But they left Krawczyk to take some pictures at the cemetery. It would not be the first time that murderers show up at the funeral. Moreover, the case was only bumbling along. After it became clear that Tadeusz Klimek was no longer a possible perpetrator, there were no inquiries from Warsaw, but an open murder case was a stain on his clean slate. At the latest when the next promotion was due, this would be a nuisance.

Before the funeral, an officer from the army had contacted Alina to discuss the ceremony. At first, she wanted to refuse, but then she agreed. The officer had pointed out that she was entitled to a world war hero and that the funeral costs would be covered proportionately. The compromise was that he refrained from making a speech, but the usual military customs would be followed at the grave.

After some back and forth, she had agreed with the officer and the priest on a neutral funeral oration. She herself had then collected the most important data about her life and handed it over to the pastor. Andrzej had seen to it that she quickly received the certificate of inheritance, but until then it was not clear to her how much money was available. The bank had not yet released the accounts for her. The balance of her own savings book and some cash found at Jadwiga's house barely covered her expenses.

The first organ notes sounded, and the mourners rose. The piece of music was melancholic and moving. Alina's eyes filled with tears. She looked for her handkerchief. Mazur had noticed it and handed her his. She took it gratefully and looked up at him. He nodded to her briefly. She pulled him to her. The last tone faded away and the mourners sat down.

The priest pulled a sad face. It seemed as if he had rehearsed it, because he did not know the deceased. The resume had nothing to do with the truth. Everyone knew it and everyone accepted it. One should let the dead rest.

Alina did not listen to the content of the words. Childhood memories mixed with the events of the last days. Fragments of words and pictures blurred.

The organ brought them back to reality. The ceremony came to an end. At a sign from the priest, those present rose. Men with white gloves picked up the coffins and carried them to the transport cart waiting at the exit. She hooked up with Andrzej and Sofia. As she walked out, she was amazed that so many people had come. But her tears prevented her from recognizing the people. So, she looked down and let herself be led to the open graves where a group of soldiers stood.

In the church a man had been sitting in the last row, holding his head tilted all the time. One could have thought that he was deeply immersed in prayer. But he was only here to hear if Eve was dead. When it was mentioned in the funeral oration that the grandfather had raised his granddaughter Alina because her mother had died, a smile barely noticeable flitted across the man's face. When he saw the young woman in passing, it was a deep satisfaction for him. He did not join the funeral procession, because his train left in an hour. He did not notice that Adam Krawczyk had photographed him like all the other mourners.

At the grave the priest spoke some words. "Earth to earth. Dust to dust."

Alina was startled by the soldiers' salute. The coffins were lowered into the pits and she felt the finality of the event. A gentle wind caught her hair and she wished that there was somewhere where Jadwiga would find peace. She did not think of her grandfather. She leaned against Mazur, who pressed her firmly against himself.

She threw gravel on the coffins, paused a little and then stepped aside. Everything just as she had been told. The other mourners did the same to her. She had asked in the obituary to refrain from expressing sympathy at the grave. So, the people walked past her. Some nodded at her.

In the end, an old woman who looked familiar to her approached her.

"Alina. I am so sorry! “

She hugged Alina. Only now she recognized Hanka Wrobel, who had looked after her when she was a child.

"We have so much to tell each other."

Alina nodded to her. She could not speak. Sofia had prepared a small snack on the spot. She did not want to come to the Klimek’s' apartment. She would do it sometime, but not today. Hanka Wrobel released her from the tension. She told little episodes from Alina's childhood. Many things seemed familiar to her. But the connections were missing. But drop by drop they mixed. It seemed that a floodgate had opened that had held on to the past. Pieces of the puzzle became a whole. She saw herself with Jadwiga in the park, on the Vistula, and even the memory of little things was awakened. She saw her colorful little dress, which she had got for her birthday. But one picture was missing: that of her mother.

Alina asked: "Have you actually met my mother?"

Hanka Wrobel lowered her head and replied: "Yes. I met her shortly before the end of the war.

She took a break. Then she looked at Alina.

"She was as young as you and as full of life. We had to accompany a book transport from Graudenz. During the lunch break we went to the bookstore where she worked. Jadwiga had brought something for her. We were only there for a few minutes. Nevertheless, I still have the picture in front of me today of her waving goodbye to us."

Hanka's eyes filled with tears.

"In Krakow we were arrested by the Gestapo. Jadwiga was sent to Auschwitz. I was released a few days later. Didn't she ever tell you anything about this?"

"No. Jadwiga did not want to burden me with the old stories. Whenever I asked her about it, she started to cry."

"I do not know everything. She had told me after the war that she had smuggled some things in book boxes for the underground army. Before 1939 she had already worked in the university archives. She spoke excellent German and Latin. So, she looked after historical collections from the 16th and 17th century. At that time, she had fallen in love with a doctoral student who borrowed books from her. I think his name was Zygmunt Rosinski. Before things could get serious between the two of them, Germany invaded Poland. The university was closed, and many professors disappeared. We were very afraid. But the library was spared because the Germans wanted to use it for their own purposes. We were allowed to continue working.

In the course of time, we received many deliveries of historical books, which were catalogued. They came from expropriated Jews and confiscated private collections. Sometimes we found stamps of the owners, dedications, and personal letters in the books. Jadwiga was very concerned about her Zygmunt, who had a room in the Jewish quarter. Although she did not know whether he was Jewish or just happened to live there. But since she had not seen him since the invasion and his comrades had also disappeared, she feared that he was in the ghetto.

But then she received an order for a book, where she immediately knew that it came from him. The title of the alleged book contained, in Latin, the time for a meeting with her boyfriend. Under the order was an illegible signature that she recognized immediately. She ran into the reading room but found only our director there. She asked him if he had seen anyone. But he did not remember any visitors. Today I am sure that he had put the note to her, since he was dealing with the underground.

Jadwiga had gone to her old meeting place and met Zygmunt. She said that she was insanely frightened because there were bonuses for informers who reported hidden Jews."

"What happened to him?", Alina asked.

"They met regularly until their arrest. She never told me what she was doing underground. All I know is that after the war, she went looking for her beloved."

Hanka Wrobel wiped her tears from her face.

"When she came from Auschwitz, she discovered that strangers were living in her apartment. She lived with me until her brother came home from the war. He was an officer and threatened his connections in the town hall. In this way he managed to get Jadwiga to move into her apartment. Tadeusz worked in the building authority. Jadwiga worked again with me in the library. The loss of her beloved certainly meant that she did not enter into new relationships with men, although she certainly had admirers. Somehow there was always a certain sadness in her, which only vanished when you were given into the care of your grandfather. Oh well. You know the rest. I honestly regret that the connection to Jadwiga was severed when I moved to my son in Zakopane in the early 1950s. Apart from a few cards for the holidays, we had no contact. Oh, Alina. Time goes by so fast."

Mazur had listened carefully. Something went through his mind.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead. If I can help?"

Hanka looked at the young man whom Alina had introduced as her boyfriend. "As you must have heard, Jadwiga has been murdered. Could it be that someone had such hatred for her because of her work in the underground? “

The old woman was a little surprised. Alina reacted to her astonished face. "Andrzej oversees the case with the militia. That was when we met."

"Well, I can't imagine that. Though I don't know everything. She had said only once that she was glad that the Gestapo people in Krakow were all either dead or imprisoned. The only open question was where her lover had gone. All she was missing was the final proof that he died. She clung to a chance that became less and less likely with each passing day. Now more than twenty years have passed. Eichmann was found by the Israelis in Argentina, and even in West Germany Auschwitz trials have taken place. I honestly cannot imagine that a criminal would dare to come to Poland to kill a woman who certainly was not at the head of the underground.

Andrzej said: "In the meantime many tourists come. I will at least have it checked."

Hanka first looked at Mazur and then at Alina.

"It would be terrible if now Nazis came and murdered people. Has something like this ever happened before? They scare me."

"I didn't want to worry you. Sometimes my imagination runs away with me."

At that moment his mother showed up with a tray of schnapps. She did not allow excuses. And so, everyone pushed again. Mazur decided to have his thoughts checked. He thought of the lists of names that were found at Jadwiga's house. Perhaps the perpetrator had been looking for the lists when he broke in.

Alina brought Hanka to the bus. They promised to stay in touch. Andrzej called Krawczyk and informed him about his suspicions.

A few hours later the fat man got off the train. It had been worthwhile to extend his stay in Krakow by two weeks. He had fulfilled an important mission and averted an existential danger. Almost euphorically, he opened the apartment door. He beat his wife, who smelled of "Kölnisch Wasser 4711". Not much was missing, and he would have killed her. That same evening, she left him with the children.

The man was satisfied with himself. He put Jadwiga's identity card, the keys and the chain in the safe. For some time, he continued to read the Tybuna Ludu regularly. His picture was not published.

Meanwhile four weeks had passed. Alina slowly found her inner peace again. Although Andrzej was still released from duty, she felt that he was literally pushed to work. He regularly called his colleagues and asked about the status of the investigation. But despite the great effort, no suspicions had arisen. Jadwiga's lists of names proved to be a dead end. All persons were demonstrably dead. The comparison of fingerprints remained without result. Alina was worried. Andrzej put himself under too much pressure. But she also understood that he did it for her.

She had planned to go with him to the apartment to look through the contents of the safe but was afraid that the crime scene would upset him too much. After a visit to the doctor, she approached him about it. He, too, warned against it since his psyche was still very unstable.

She had long since received the release of the crime scene from the police, but she did not find the courage to enter the apartment. Sofia recognized this and suggested she come along. To be on the safe side, she made an appointment with Adam Krawczyk. He promised to thoroughly check the house and the rooms beforehand.

The seals were unbroken. After he had checked the rooms, he invited the women in. Alina opened the safe.

Adam retired to the kitchen and Sofia cleaned up Jadwiga's room. She looked at Alina's excitement but avoided responding to it. In the end, the young woman had to master the situation herself in order not to be dominated by fear.