Betrayed

By Carole McEntee-Taylor

It was bad enough having a serial murderer lose in Berlin, but when the latest victim is his sister Sabine’s best friend Rachel, Otto is devastated. But even more worrying is Sabine’s growing friendship with Ari, Rachel’s brother. In Nazi Germany being friends with a Jewish family is not a good idea, being in love is asking for trouble.

Once war starts Berlin becomes even more dangerous, the killer doesn’t seem to care about the victim’s race, but the Nazis do. As Sabine’s family grow more concerned about the situation, they hatch a plan that will have far reaching consequences into the future, not just for Sabine and Ari but for the whole family.

Betrayed begins in 1930s Berlin and ends in post war Palestine as the true extent of her family’s betrayal finally comes to light.

This book contains adult content.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carole McEntee-Taylor
• Release date: Feb 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005146863

Carole McEntee-Taylor

I write military history, historical fiction and memoirs and sometimes a mixture of all three. I am also a ghost writer of novels and memoirs.My non fiction, published by by Pen and Sword Books Ltd, include Herbert Columbine VC, Surviving the Nazi Onslaught, A Battle Too Far, Military Detention Colchester from 1947, The Battle of Bellewaarde June 1915, From Colonial Warrior to Western Front Flyer, The History of Coalhouse Fort and A History of Women’s Lives in Scunthorpe.I have also written a biography of John Doubleday to be included in his book: The Work and published The Weekend Trippers and My War and Peace myself. I am always on the look out for new military memoirs to publish. If you would like to know more please visit my website.My spiritual books are The Re-Enlightenment and The Holiday From Hell.My fiction includeSecrets ( a book of six short stories)Lives Apart: A WW2 Chronicle - a five book series inspired by the true story of my in-laws.Obsession - a five book series inspired by the true story of the missing POWs at the end of WW2.Betrayed - a stand alone murder mystery set in WW2 Germany and Palestine.Secret Lives - a six book series set before and during WW1.A One Way Ticket - a four book series inspired by the true story of Bill Young through WW2 and beyond.

Book preview

Part 1

Spring 1935

Berlin

Chapter 1

‘I’m sorry, Rosenberg, you can’t come in.’ The school Principal appeared anything but sorry as she stood at the top of the small flight of steps, effectively barring the way into the school. With legs akimbo, arms folded and a condescending expression on her face, the Principal stared down at the pretty sixteen year-old Jewish girl standing in front of her. Unable to go any further, Rachel Rosenberg halted with one foot on the bottom step and stared up at the short, rather plump, fair haired woman in disbelief. But before Rachel had time to say anything, the Principal continued:

‘Jews are no longer welcome here and if you know what’s good for you, Sabine Engel…’ The woman turned her attention to Sabine whose initial shocked expression was rapidly turning to one of anger. ‘You will stop mixing with such people.’ With that, the Principal spun on her heel and walked back inside, leaving Rachel and Sabine standing at the bottom of the steps in astonishment.

Belatedly, Sabine opened her mouth to object but Rachel tugged her arm. ‘Leave it, Sabine. There’s no point arguing; you won’t win, you know you won’t. You go in and I’ll go home. I’ll come round and see you later.’ Rachel hesitated. ‘If that’s alright?’

Sabine stared at her friend in total disbelief.

‘Don’t be ridiculous, of course it’s alright. We’ve been friends for ten years and we’ll be friends for as long as we say, not some… some…’ Words failed her, so angry was she at the sheer unfairness of the situation. This was probably fortunate because, with her gaze fixed firmly in the direction of the departing Principal, Sabine had failed to notice the arrival of the physical education teacher, until he was standing right behind them.

Stefan Richter, his black SS uniform neatly pressed, the brasses polished and gleaming, the swastikas appearing much louder and more obtrusive to Sabine than previously, had stopped and was glaring at them.

Seeing Rachel still hesitating in front of the entrance, Richter leant forward, putting his face so close to hers that Rachel could smell his sour breath and feel its heat on her cheeks. ‘Still here?’ he sneered, his voice so quiet she had to strain to hear him. When Rachel didn’t move, Richter shouted, ‘Saujude!’ at her, making her jump backwards, away from his fetid breath and the venom she could feel emanating from every pore. Despite her determination not to let him see her distress, Rachel could feel her face glowing bright red. She blinked in a vain attempt to prevent the tears, so close to the surface, from cascading down her burning cheeks. No longer caring about the consequences, Sabine opened her mouth to defend her friend, but before she could say anything, Richter had grabbed Sabine by the elbow, pulled her up the steps and propelled her through the doors into the school, slamming the door hard behind him, leaving Rachel standing alone by the front steps.

The tears Rachel had fought so hard to control fell unrestrained while she leant against the ornate wall supporting the steps and tried to decide what to do. After a few moments, she realised there was little point remaining there, so she slowly made her way back down the long tree lined driveway towards the main road.

*******

Inside the building, Sabine wrenched her arm free from Richter’s grasp and stalked ahead into the classroom, anxious to put as much distance between herself and the odious teacher as possible. Sabine was absolutely furious she had been made to leave her friend, but she was also realistic enough to know Rachel was right; there was nothing she could do. Once inside the classroom, Sabine rushed to the window and was just in time to see Rachel disappearing from sight. Sabine was struck by just how forlorn and lonely her friend seemed and then wondered how on earth she could tell that just by looking at her back. Sabine let out a slow breath; it was all she could do to stop herself running back out of the classroom and joining Rachel.

‘What’s the matter, Sabi? Lost your Yid friend?’ The taunt was accompanied by loud laughter, but when she spun back to confront the two boys who were jeering and making faces behind her, the door swung open and the teacher entered. There was instant silence, the class stood as one all facing the front, standing to attention like they had been taught. Not for the first time, Sabine thought how militaristic the school had become.

‘Guten Morgen, Frau Striech.’ The monotonous morning greeting echoed round the classroom, followed by the scraping of chairs and banging of desk lids while the pupils sat down and took out the books needed for the first lesson. Sabine knew her chance to defend her friend had gone for the moment and, with reluctance, she sat down and opened her text book at the requisite page. The first lesson was geography, something she found boring at the best of times, and it was not long before her mind wandered back to Rachel and the anger simmering under the surface returned.

*******

Rachel was half way home, her face blotchy and streaked with tears, her nose red where she kept blowing it. She was also hot from the walk, having been determined to get away from the site of her humiliation as quickly as possible. She was aware people were staring at her, but for once Rachel didn’t really care. All she wanted to do was to get home, to the safety of her family so she could blot out the events of the day. While Rachel walked, her head bowed in a vain attempt to keep her puffy, tear stained face hidden, the events and images of the past few years kept swirling around like a giant kaleidoscope in her mind.

For the first time ever, she felt angry at Sabine. Sabine was her best friend, but instead of letting Rachel talk about how she felt to be ostracised and hated, Sabine had repeatedly changed the subject. Rachel had eventually been too embarrassed to keep mentioning it and she couldn’t understand why her friend seemed so oblivious to the anti-Semitic mood sweeping some sections of the community.

It’s alright for Sabine, Rachel thought with fury, her breath coming in short sharp bursts while her pace quickened in time with the savage thoughts coursing through her brain. She can shut her elegant front door in well-heeled Charlottenburg and block out the real world. I can’t shut my mind off and pretend it isn’t happening. I have to live with it. So much for friendship! The more angry Rachel became, the less she felt like crying. I’m going to tell her exactly what I think of her. Her thoughts raced on while she savoured the angry words she would throw at her friend.

Then reality hit her: Sabine was her only friend; had been her only and most dear friend for so long. Was she really going to destroy all that for a few seconds’ satisfaction when she knew none of this was really Sabine’s fault any more than it was hers for being Jewish? Rachel’s anger disappeared to be replaced by sadness as she wondered what on earth the future held.

Rachel had never been under any illusion about what was happening around her. To begin with, she hadn’t been sure whether it was just her imagination, but little by little there was a gradual change in the attitude of some people towards her. The shift had begun slowly, almost imperceptibly and then escalated suddenly. First the choice of shops had started to decrease and notices appeared saying Jews would not be served. The tension in the streets began to rise steadily and Rachel found herself avoiding certain routes when on her own, even if it meant walking a long way round.

But being banned from some stores and Jewish shops closing down was nothing to the terror of the increasing number of SA marches through the streets of Berlin and the escalating violence against the Jewish population that they encouraged. More and more businesses and homes covered their buildings in fluttering black, red and white flags with their prominent swastikas, and the restrictions began to bite deeper. The tension rose until it became almost palpable and Rachel found herself becoming isolated. Eventually she realised that, apart from Sabine and her family, virtually all the other people she mixed with were Jewish.

Rachel’s first real experience of being ostracised came when she was barred from the Berlin girls club she had attended for so long. The scene at the entrance had been very similar to that at the school, but then Rachel had not been alone. Sabine had also left in protest, after ensuring those in charge were in no doubt about her feelings on the matter. Remembering her friend’s fiery defence of her, Rachel suddenly felt guilty about her earlier treacherous thoughts. Sabine had not hesitated for even a second. She had jumped in with both feet and probably said a lot of things she shouldn’t have.

Although Rachel had been badly shaken at the personal attack by people she had considered to be her friends, Sabine’s defiance had given her a warm glow inside. Walking home with Sabine, she had not felt anything like as shocked and alone as she did now.

Not for the first time she wished they could leave Germany, but her parents kept saying it was impossible to get papers. Although it was difficult to get exit visas, Rachel knew the real barrier to them leaving Germany was her parents’ attitudes to the escalating situation. Rachel’s father, Isaac, was a dentist with a good private practice and her mother, Sarah, was a teacher at the local university. They were loath to leave their home and good jobs, even though they could just about have afforded to go to America. Rachel had been astonished at how expensive it was to emigrate to the United States: a thousand dollars each, and someone had to provide an affidavit to promise support for the first year. But even this was possible, because her mother had some distant cousins in America who had urged them to leave Germany several times and offered them the necessary help while they started their lives afresh.

However, her parents considered themselves to be Germans, who just happened to have Jewish ancestry, so they had every right to stay in their own country. Rachel’s father had fought for the German army in the Great War and had even been awarded an Iron Cross, Second Class for bravery. They were a part of Germany and were convinced the persecution would soon blow over and, once the country was back on its feet economically and the National Socialists were more secure, life would return to normal. However, as time went on, Rachel and her brother Ari were becoming less convinced this was the case.

Ari wanted to go to Palestine but there were even more restrictions on immigration there. Against their parents’ wishes, Ari had recently joined Youth Aliyah, an organisation aiming to take young Jews to Palestine illegally. Ari was older than her by two years and a great hit with the girls, with his dark flashing eyes that were nearly always twinkling with amusement and his thick black hair. But Ari only had eyes for Sabine and Rachel knew her friend liked him too, despite Sabine’s attempts to hide how she felt. Rachel could tell by the way Sabine always led the conversation to Ari if she could and how she always looked out for him whenever she came over to tea. The thought used to make her smile and Rachel imagined them marrying and becoming part of the same family. But now the thought only filled her with terror. Ari was not one to be told who he could and could not court and Sabine also had a mind of her own. In the current political climate, their friendship was not a good idea and to take things further would be even more dangerous.

The Rosenbergs lived in a spacious house in a nice area of West Berlin, to the north of the Zoological Gardens. They had four bedrooms, one of which was for their live-in maid, Christina, a young German girl who cooked, cleaned and waited on table when they had guests. The house also boasted a large living room, complete with an open fire place in which a roaring fire crackled in the grate throughout the cold Berlin winters. The mahogany walled dining room faced out onto the large garden, which backed onto the Zoological Gardens and was used for everyday meal as well as entertaining. Below the ground floor there was a modern kitchen and a well-stocked cellar. The four bedrooms led off the ornate staircase upstairs and were comfortably furnished in the most up to date styles. The bathroom was quite small but adequate for their needs, furnished with the very latest in plumbing design.

Their furniture was a mix of old and new and included many beautiful heirlooms inherited from their ancestors. As Rachel walked up the driveway to the house she loved, she began to feel at peace for the first time since the horrible incident at the school. Rachel loved this house which had been her home since she was a baby. She could never imagine living anywhere else.

She made her way round to the wrought iron side gate and let herself into the garden. Immediately the heady smell of the early roses assailed her senses and the large magnolia bushes blocked out everything except the sound of the birds and the insects. Rachel stood still for a moment and closed her eyes, breathing in the perfume from the flowers and feeling the peace of the garden wash over her, and she wished she could stay there quietly forever, basking in the warmth and tranquillity.

Eventually, she resumed her walk into the main garden. Here the sounds of the insects and birds making the most of the early summer intensified and she felt her spirits lift. The faint tinkling of piano keys wafted towards her on the gentle breeze and she finally began to relax, smiling for the first time since she had left the school.

Rachel entered through the large French windows which were wide open to let in the warmth of the day. Her parents would be at work but thank goodness Ari was home; he would understand how she felt in a way they wouldn’t. Although she loved her parents and she knew they also loved her, they would listen to her account of what had happened and then, unable to really comprehend how humiliated she had felt, and reluctant to face the unpalatable truth, they would change the subject. Ari was different. He had experienced the hysterical incomprehensible hatred first hand.

Like many others, Ari had been out of work for quite a while, having been sacked by his German employer the previous year. She could remember his face on the day he had come home to tell them. Yes, Ari had been angry, but he was also bewildered and confused, having no idea what it was he had done to upset his employer, other than the fact that he was Jewish, something over which he had no control and which had no bearing on his work at all. After several months out of work, Ari was finally due to start as an apprentice engineer with a Jewish firm the next day.

When she stepped into the living room, Ari stopped playing a piece of Chopin’s Nocturnes in the middle of a bar and looked up in surprise.

‘What, no school today? Or are you playing hooky?’ Ari saw Rachel’s tear-stained face and he frowned. Standing up, he stepped forward, put his arm round her and pulled her close into his chest.

‘Rachel, what on earth is it? What’s happened? Why are you so upset?’

‘They won’t let me in the school anymore because I’m Jewish.’ Although Rachel spoke the words with little emotion, she was far from calm inside and she had to fight hard to control the tears that once again threatened to engulf her. Rachel felt Ari tense and, glancing up and seeing the hard set expression on his face, she suddenly felt frightened and caught his hand.

‘There’s nothing we can do, Ari. You know there isn’t. I was… I was… just so humiliated…’ Rachel finally managed to stutter the words out and was then surprised she had said them out loud. However, she was worried about the effect they would have on her brother, whose anger was quick to rise and slow to subside. Trying to salvage what she could from the situation, Rachel wiped her eyes and said in a much firmer voice, ‘It doesn’t matter, Ari. It was just a shock, that’s all. I’m alright now, honestly. I’m sure I can finish my Arbitur at the Jewish school. I’ll go and see them tomorrow.’

Rachel disentangled herself from his arms and threw her bag down on the floor. Flopping down on the worn, but comfortable floral patterned settee, she tucked her legs under her and, taking one of the large flowery cushions draped decoratively on the sofa, she hugged it to her body.

‘I’ll go tomorrow and ask,’ she repeated and then, seeing that Ari was still angry, she continued, ‘How long do you think this will go on for, Ari? Are Mutti and Vatti right and it’s just temporary, or do you think it will get worse?’

Ari hesitated, wondering just how much he should say. Then, deciding he owed it to her to be honest, he answered, his voice serious:

‘I think it will get worse. It certainly won’t stop all the time the National Socialists have power and I can’t see that changing very quickly, to be honest, not now they have outlawed all elections.’

There was silence while Rachel digested his words which had echoed her earlier thoughts. Then Ari spoke again. ‘What about Sabine? Didn’t she do anything?’

Despite her earlier angry thoughts, Rachel immediately leapt to her friend’s defence. ‘Herr Richter didn’t give her a chance; he just grabbed her arm and dragged her into school. She wasn’t happy though,’ she added, remembering the expression on her best friend’s face. ‘I stopped her making a fuss, Ari. It wasn’t worth it. She wouldn’t have won and would have just got herself into trouble.’

Ari agreed with reluctance, then as a picture of Sabine, her eyes blazing, her face flushed with righteous indignation, came into his mind, he couldn’t help smiling.

‘What is it, Ari?’ Rachel was surprised his anger had dissipated so quickly.

‘I was just picturing Sabine in full flow, losing her temper.’ Ari smiled again and Rachel laughed. Sabine was her best friend, but she did have a terrible temper, although it took a lot to rouse her. But if you did, it was best to take cover because her tongue was like paint stripper, acid and unforgiving. ‘Anyway, I’m going round to her house after she comes home from school, so if anything else happened she can tell me then.’

Not wanting to think about the school anymore and relieved Ari was no longer so angry, she changed the subject. ‘Play some more Chopin, Ari. You know how I really love this piece.’

Seeing she appeared more relaxed, Ari said no more. He lowered himself on to the piano stool and launched back into the soothing music and, before long, the horrors of the day faded into the background.

Chapter 2

The rest of the day seemed to last an age, but finally the ornamental clock on the mantel place struck four and, after saying goodbye to Ari, Rachel set off across the Zoological Gardens towards Sabine’s house in Charlottenburg. The park was quiet, the only inhabitants some ducks on the pond being fed bread by a few small children. Their nannies were sitting chatting on one of the many benches and Rachel smiled while she walked past.

‘They get everywhere, don’t they?’ The well-bred voice took Rachel by surprise. Not sure whether she was being spoken to or not, she glanced back in time to see that a brown shirted member of the Hitler Youth had joined the nannies, his eyes cold and contemptuous as he stared at her.

Rachel glanced away and quickened her pace, but not in time to block out the next words spoken by one of the young women.

‘They’ll soon get rid of her sort. It won’t be long now, thank goodness. They should never have been allowed to contaminate Berlin in the first place.’

‘I’ve heard they sleep with German men and give them diseases.’ This was a new voice and Rachel wished there was more noise so she couldn’t hear their hateful words.

‘Well she’s not likely to.’ The voice of the Hitler youth was louder than the women and carried further. ‘I wouldn’t touch her with a barge pole. Ugly looking cow, isn’t she? No one but another Jew would want to mate with her!’ Their raucous laughter could be heard long after they had disappeared from sight and Rachel had to fight hard to suppress the tears that threatened to fall for the second time that day.

Why do they have to be so horrible? Rachel was shaking. I haven’t done anything to them. All I did was smile at them. Rachel wished she had gone the long way round, but she was so eager to see Sabine, she had taken her normal route.

*******

Sabine’s parents were quite rich and had some rather influential friends. Her father was a doctor whose clients were among the most powerful families in Germany, whilst her mother had already gained a reputation as one of Berlin’s best hostesses. Although their guests frequently included high ranking members of the Nazi Party, neither were anti-Semitic. However, they were careful to keep their views to themselves. They had no objection to Sabine’s friendship with the Rosenberg children and had even encouraged it, considering Rachel to be a good influence on their rather headstrong daughter. Heinrich had fought in the Great War with Isaac, Rachel’s father, and they had remained good friends over the years. Gabi and Heinrich would often invite Rachel’s parents to dinner, although the day was fast approaching when they could see that their friendship might have to be conducted with more caution and less openly.

‘What on earth’s the matter, Sabine?’ Her mother asked the minute Sabine came in from school. One look at the fearsome scowl on her face was enough to let Gabi know something had really upset her daughter.

‘Rachel’s been excluded from school because she’s Jewish!’ Sabine exploded ‘Have you ever heard such unmitigated rubbi…’ She stopped in mid-sentence as her mother grabbed her arm and pulled her into the large dining room that overlooked the lake, shutting the door firmly behind them.

‘Sshhh, Sabine,’ Gabi said, glancing round, an anxious expression on her face. ‘You never know who is listening, darling.’

Seeing Sabine’s mutinous expression, Gabi continued before her daughter could launch into another diatribe, ‘You know I agree with you entirely, as does your father, but you also know that expressing such sentiments at the top of your voice, even in your own home, is not wise these days.’ Knowing her rebellious daughter was about to argue with her Gabi, went on, ‘There may come a time when it will be useful that no one knows what we think about Jews. We may be able to help if people think we too hate them like the Nazis do. If we are known to be sympathisers, we will have no chance to help or make a difference.’

Her words finally penetrated Sabine’s anger and she nodded, reluctantly at first, but Gabi knew she had made her point. Seeing Sabine was now much calmer, Gabi prompted her, ‘Now, quietly, tell me what happened.’

Taking a deep breath, Sabine recounted their experience at the school that morning and Gabi listened, her expression growing more worried by the moment.

‘I had no idea things had become so bad.’ Gabi reached out her arms and pulled her daughter closer. ‘We need to start being careful, Sabine. No,’ she waved away the protest starting to form on her daughter’s lips. ‘I’m not going to say you can’t see Rachel and Ari, of course not. Just be a little more discreet, alright?’

Before Sabine could say anything, there was a knock on the door. Within minutes, the maid entered, distaste written all over her face

‘It’s the young Jewish girl, Gnädige frau.’ The disdainful emphasis on the word ‘Jewish’ was only too audible. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Gabi registered that this was not the first time she had heard Gerda speak disrespectfully about Rachel. She would have liked to reprimand her, but she knew now was not the time. In fact, there might never be a good time if things carried on the way they were. The thought that this ridiculous persecution could get worse was deeply depressing. Feeling Sabine was about to say something, she gripped her daughter’s arm tightly.

‘Thank you, Gerda. I’ll see to it.’ Gerda hesitated and appeared to be about to object when, seeing the expression on her mistress’s face, she changed her mind.

‘Yes, Gnädige frau.’ Her tone was haughty and, turning around, she left the room. Gabi looked at Sabine and lowered her voice, conscious the door was still open.

‘Go down to the boat house. I’ll send Rachel down there and come and join you both in a moment. Don’t argue, just do it.’ Sabine opened her mouth to disagree, but seeing her mother’s expression, thought better of it. Without another word, Sabine went out through the French doors and down the winding path to the boat house. Gabi went to the front door and, checking no one was in sight, whispered, ‘Go down to the boat house and meet us there.’ Rachel had already seen the anxious expression on Gabi’s face so, without comment, she headed away from the house and back the way she had come. A few hundred yards from the house, there was a small path that opened onto the narrow tow path that led to the boat house.

Sabine was pacing the boat house floor and, when Rachel entered, Sabine flung her arms round her friend. Rachel began to relax when she realised she had not lost Sabine after all.

‘What’s going on?’ Rachel sounded nervous.

‘Mutti thinks we should be more cautious because of the political climate now.’ Sabine hesitated, unable to find the right words to express the anger and frustration she felt at having to sneak around to see her best friend, even though she could see the logic in her mother’s reasoning.

‘It’s alright, I understand. Honestly I do. It’s not your fault or your mother’s, but we need to do what is safe.’ Seeing Sabine’s gloomy face, Rachel forced herself to smile. ‘By the way, Ari sends his regards.’

Sabine’s face lit up and, seeing Rachel’s expression, she laughed. ‘Don’t you dare tell him how I feel!’

Rachel laughed, feeling better than she had all day.

‘Hello, Rachel, I’m so sorry about that but I think it’s safer you and Sabine meet here in future rather than in the house.’ Gabi had crept in unnoticed and, at her words, the jovial atmosphere vanished.

‘I understand.’ Rachel was already resigned to the situation. ‘Sabine and I will work out ways of meeting each other that don’t draw attention to either of us.’ Seeing Sabine’s face, she tried to sound enthusiastic. ‘Come on, Sabi, it will be fun, like being spies!’ Eventually Sabine joined in and, within minutes, they were trying to work out the best way of keeping in touch and, relieved, Gabi left them to it. Her final words to Sabine were not to be too late coming in, because that could raise eyebrows and possibly lead to awkward questions.

‘I’m so sorry, Rachel.’ Seeing Rachel’s confused expression, Sabine hastened to explain. ‘About not listening to you… about what was happening. I just wanted it all to go away and I thought if I ignored it, it would. I’m so sorry.’ Before Rachel could interrupt, she carried on, ‘It must have been awful for you and I wouldn’t listen or anything. Do you forgive me?’

Rachel smiled, her anger of that morning totally forgotten. ‘Of course I do. We’re friends, aren’t we? Mind you, if you really want to make it up to me, you could let me have some of your mum’s Prinzregententorte, I’m starving.’ Rachel pointed to the small tray Gabi had left and Sabine laughed in relief. She had been feeling so guilty all the afternoon, as if it was her fault that Rachel had been expelled, even though she knew that was ridiculous.

Their time together passed much too quickly and it was only the sight of the sun beginning its downward slide towards the west that alerted them to the lateness of the hour. The two girls hugged and arranged to meet back in the boat house at four o’clock the next afternoon. Because Rachel had the furthest to go, they agreed she should leave first.

‘Are you sure you don’t want someone to take you home?’ Sabine was concerned about her friend walking home on her own.

Ignoring the sudden pounding of her heart as the memory of the earlier incident in the park came back into her mind, Rachel shook her head. ‘If I have to ask someone to take me home every time, it’s going to make it very difficult to meet at all.’ Recognising the logic of Rachel’s words, Sabine nodded and, giving Rachel one more hug, Sabine watched her walk briskly up the tow path and out of sight.

Sabine gave it several minutes and then ambled up to the house, arriving just as dinner was being served.

*******

Rachel hurried along the road, hoping she would get home before dark, when a shout brought her to a halt.

‘Hey, Jew girl. What are you doing walking along the pavement, walk in the road, Saujude!’

Rachel started. Lost in her thoughts she had not been paying proper attention, so she had missed the group of boys in their Hitler Youth uniforms swaggering down the pavement towards her. Rachel wanted very much to ignore them, but she knew that would be foolish, so she stepped out into the road and kept her head down, making sure she didn’t make eye contact. To her relief, apart from some more jeering and catcalls, she passed unmolested and very soon rounded the corner, taking her out of their sight. Realising she was still shaking, she took some deep breaths and quickened her pace, praying she would reach home before she passed any more. The next danger point was the park, but to walk round would take her ages and might mean her bumping into yet more Hitler Youth who roamed the streets at night hunting for helpless victims to attack.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel entered through the gate just as the sun began its final descent into the west, its light casting a brilliant red glow across the gentle contours of the park. The sight was so beautiful, for a moment she forgot all about the troubles of the day and allowed herself to stand and bask in its rosy glow while the sun sank into the distant hills and out of sight. Realising she was now in the dark, Rachel began to panic and, putting her head down, she increased her pace. She had not gone far when she heard footsteps closing in behind her. Rachel spun around but the new moon was too small to shed much light and she couldn’t see anything. She speeded up, her heart beating faster until it was pounding so hard she was sure whoever was following could hear. Fear threatened to overwhelm her; she was already walking as fast as she could, but the footsteps were still gaining on her. Rachel was just about to start running when she heard a familiar voice calling her name:

‘Rachel, Rachel, stop Rachel. Are you alright?’

She stopped and turned round in relief.

‘You frightened the life out of me.’ Rachel’s fear made her angry and, when he came close enough for her to see him clearly, she continued, ‘Why on earth didn’t you call out sooner?’

‘I’m sorry Rachel, really I am. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I wasn’t completely sure it was you to start with.’ Then seeing her begin to relax, he continued, ‘No matter, I’m here now, so there’s no need to worry, is there?’ He took her arm gently. His fingers felt cool on the hot skin of her bare arm making her jump slightly, but his touch was comforting and her fear began to recede. ‘I’ll walk you home if you like. It’s not safe for you to be on your own in here, especially nowadays. I saw several groups of Hitler Youth thugs hanging around at the entrance to the gardens. There may be some at the other side too.’

He pulled her towards him and gave her a quick hug. Slightly surprised, but feeling safer now she was no longer alone, Rachel allowed him to guide her along the dark path through the park.

Chapter 3

The early morning sun shining through the window woke Sabine with a start. For some reason she felt uneasy, as if the day was going to bring unwelcome news. Shaking her head at her imagination, something her parents had always said would run away with her, Sabine threw off the bed clothes and climbed out of bed. It was such a beautiful day, she stood gazing out of the window for several moments before going to the bathroom and then getting ready for school. She really hated the uniform with its brown pleated skirt, beige blouse and brown blazer which made her look so… so… she couldn’t find the word for a moment then it came to her. Not only did she appear about twelve years old, she also looked like a Nazi. The subtle change of uniform, brought in earlier in the year, had not struck her before. Although the colour suited her pale complexion, highlighting her ash blonde hair and bringing out the colour in her eyes, its regimented style was almost paramilitary. She wondered how on earth she hadn’t noticed before.

Sabine stopped to check her appearance in the mirror and tucked some stray blonde hairs back into the neat pony tail that fell with precision half way down her back. The face that stared back at her wore a serious expression, the hazel eyes, with their gently curling eyelashes, were clear and open and framed by neat curved eyebrows that somehow she had managed to pluck without her parents noticing. Her gaze wandered critically towards her straight, aquiline nose which she always considered slightly too long and then, before she could continue the regular morning assessment, Ari’s face popped into her mind. The stunning transformation caused by her smile was completely lost on her, as her full mouth with its wide sensuous lips parted to show a glimpse of white teeth, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkled. Like most young girls, she did not consider herself pretty or attractive and could only see imperfections. Just thinking of Ari always made her hot; she could see the pink flush staining her cheeks and she was grateful she was alone.

Realising she would be late for breakfast, something her father hated, Sabine quickly snapped off the daydream of Ari taking her in his arms and kissing her and tried to compose herself. Focusing on Rachel instead and the anger she still felt about her friend’s exclusion from school had the desired effect and, after checking her appearance one more time, she ran down the stairs.

Breakfast was in the large dining room and, by the time she arrived, her parents and three older brothers were already seated. Her youngest brother, Georg, who was only six, was in the nursery with his nanny.

‘Good morning, darling.’ Gabi greeted her with a smile. Sabine responded by kissing her mother briefly on the cheek and then did the same to her father, Heinrich, who, engrossed in the morning paper, grunted a response.

‘What’s the matter?’ Otto asked, seeing her downcast expression when she sat opposite him. Sabine was normally the most cheerful of all of them in the morning and it was most unlike her to be miserable.

‘The school refused to let Rachel come any more. They told her she wasn’t welcome because she’s Jewish,’ Sabine replied, struggling to contain her anger.

‘Quite right too,’ Klaus said before Otto could reply. ‘I could never understand why you would want to associate with that family anyway.’

Sabine’s face grew red and she opened her mouth to respond but then, she caught her mother’s warning glance and stopped.

‘Nothing to say?’ Klaus said, visibly amused at her attempts to remain silent. ‘That’s not like you, Sabine. You’re usually so full of your opinions, however erroneous.’

‘Stop goading your sister.’ Heinrich folded his paper, glared across the table at his son, his expression stern, and wondered how on earth they had raised one son to be so different from his siblings. Obviously Georg was still young yet but Otto, Dieter and Sabine were very similar; they were all gentle, tolerant people whose outlook on the world closely mirrored that of their parents. Klaus, however, was an enigma. As sullen and morose as the others were cheerful, he had always spent much of his time goading Sabine and, when she was younger, she had often had to turn to her older brothers for protection. Although Sabine was more than capable of defending herself, Heinrich hated rows at the table and, in any case, Klaus had no authority in his house, despite the nonsense the SS had filled his head with.

Otto was his oldest son. Born early in 1912, he had arrived not long after he and Gabi had married. Tall, handsome with sparkling blue eyes, a straight nose and blond hair, he was well built, steady and dependable, an oldest son to be proud of. Otto had always been protective of his little sister and a credit to the family name. Heinrich hadn’t been entirely convinced about the direction Otto had chosen to go in his career; he’d rather hoped he would want to be a doctor like his father. But he seemed happy and being a policeman was a respectable job with good career prospects, or it had been, before that fat oaf Göring had taken over the police two years ago. Still, Otto seemed to have survived the political interference and was progressing well.

Dieter had been born in the summer before the Great War had started. Very much like his older brother, physically and in temperament, he had been an easy gentle child who rarely lost his temper and had grown into a quiet, rather sombre, adult with a love of learning. Dieter could often be found with his nose in a book or with his blue eyes staring into the distance, a dreamy expression on his rather handsome face. Much to Heinrich’s delight, Dieter had just enrolled in the local university studying to be a doctor of the mind. Heinrich had few concerns for either of his elder boys who both seemed to know where they were heading. Klaus, however, was another matter entirely.

Klaus had arrived a couple of years later, in January 1916, a result of his leave from the fighting on the Western Front nine months earlier. From the minute he was born, Klaus was angry. He had cried his way through the nursery and, as he grew older, he had defeated the best attentions of three nannies who had left in despair. Klaus’ hair was dark like his temper, and his eyes, although the same shade of blue as Otto’s, were cold and aloof. Like Otto and Dieter, he was well built and, like them, he was handsome, but in a cold, rather dangerous way. He had bullied Sabine mercilessly while she was small, until Otto was forced to intervene and, as he grew older, his temper did not diminish, his victims usually those who were weaker than him or unable to fight back. Although fanciful, Heinrich had often wondered whether his experiences in the dreadful carnage of the Great War had somehow tainted Klaus and that was why he was so angry and rebellious. Or maybe it had been the turmoil that had enveloped Germany when the war turned against them that had affected him.

When the war ended and Heinrich had finally come home, everything had changed. Gone was the respect for the Army and their homeland. The next few years were a struggle, even for a talented doctor like himself. Berlin became a battleground for opposing ideologies and there were often running battles in the streets between Communists and the Freikorps, remnants of the army who hated the Weimar republic and its embryonic democracy. Life at home seemed to mirror the political landscape that surrounded them. Gabi had grown used to Heinrich being away and, for the first few weeks, she struggled to adjust to his being at home again. In response Heinrich buried himself in his work and they started to grow apart. But realising how much they loved each other and fearful their marriage would be over if they continued to allow their relationship to drift, they made an effort to spend more time together.

In late September 1919, Gabi gave birth to a healthy baby girl, the spitting image of Gabi and Heinrich suddenly found himself the doting father. He justified his obsession with his daughter as being because she was a girl and therefore brought out all his protective instincts. Maybe that was why Klaus was so difficult. Maybe he, more than the older boys, had felt rejected by the arrival of his baby sister. Heinrich wondered why the thought had never occurred to him before.

On the other hand, the arrival of Georg at the end of 1928, did not seem to have bothered Klaus at all and Sabine, who should have been put out by the birth, as she had been the baby of the family for so