Karolina's Twins by Ronald H Balson

Author:Ronald H Balson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781250089052
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

TWENTY-THREE

IT WAS A GLOOMY, rainy Friday morning when Lena arrived at Catherine’s office a half hour late. “What happened in court yesterday?” she said, shaking her umbrella in the office foyer.

Catherine shrugged off the question. “It wasn’t very pleasant. Judge Peterson persisted in his campaign to force me to abide by his order, but he ended by continuing everything to Monday morning. Walter is very confident about our legal position and we hope to get this whole matter disposed of in the short term. We think we might be able to offer a list of questions that aren’t private and won’t violate your confidential disclosures. Meanwhile, I’d like to use as much time as we have over the next three days to finish your narrative. Let’s you and I work really hard to get all of the background information so that Liam can start to track down the two girls.”

“Of course.” Lena handed her coat to Gladys and followed Catherine into the conference room.

Catherine pulled her yellow pad out of her file, flipped the pages to the end of her notes and smiled as if a thought crossed her mind.

“Something strike you as funny?” Lena said.

Catherine nodded. “We begin our sessions like a ten-part TV drama series. You know, ‘Previously, on the Life of Lena Woodward…’”

“Lena Scheinman,” she corrected with a chuckle. “Previously, I had completed two deliveries of the secret Auschwitz reports to Colonel Müller, the second one without a hitch. Winter was drawing to a close, but life in the ghetto continued to disintegrate. The Grim Reaper had many tools: starvation, disease, disenchantment, lack of energy, lack of purpose. Many of the elderly, or those in a weakened condition, had reached the point where they couldn’t work or even forage for necessities and they lost their will to face another day. Compromised immune systems were no match for the bacteria and viruses that ran rampant throughout the ghetto. Lice, insect infestation, rats and skin diseases were more than our understaffed and unsupplied clinics could handle. Even a minor cold or the flu was life-threatening and extraordinarily contagious.

“Karolina’s relationship with Siegfried kept going strong and managed to keep us well-fed. David also had access to food from the pantries at the Shop, and occasionally I’d have extra bread for us. In that regard, Karolina and I were among the privileged and we knew it. The young and healthy survived. The old and feeble expired or were sent to die.

“In late March, David tapped me on the shoulder to let me know there was a delivery to be made that night. Jan was in his room when I arrived.

“‘Tonight’s report is of the gravest importance,’ Jan said. ‘It may be the single most important message that Ares has ever sent. Be very careful, and make sure it gets to the colonel.’

“‘Of course.’ I put my shoes on and proceeded to the loading dock. David wrapped a dozen coats in brown paper, tied them onto the cart and put his hands on my shoulders.

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