The Boys From Brazil by Ira Levin

Author:Ira Levin
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-12-04T01:40:04+00:00

5

An indictment charging Frieda Altschul Maloney and eight other persons with mass murder at the Ravensbrück concentration camp was expected to be handed down at any moment; so when, on Friday, January 17th, Yakov Liebermann presented himself at the offices of Frau Maloney's attorneys, Zweibel & Fassler of Düsseldorf, he wasn't accorded a warm or even room-temperature welcome. But Joachim Fassler was lawyer enough to know that Liebermann hadn't come here to gloat or kill time; there was something he wanted, and therefore something he would offer or could be asked for in exchange. So, after switching on his recorder, Fassler received Liebermann in his office.

He was right. The Jew wanted to meet with Freida and question her about certain matters in no way related to her wartime activities and having no bearing whatsoever on the approaching trial — American matters involving the period from 196- to 1963. What American matters? Adoptions that she or someone else had arranged on the basis of information she had got from the files of the Rush-Gaddis Agency.

"I know of no such adoptions," Fassler said.

Liebermann said, "Frau Maloney does."

If she saw him and answered his questions fully and candidly, he would tell Fassler about some of the testimony that was going to be presented against her by witnesses he had located.

"Which ones?"

"Not their names, only some of their testimony."

"Come now, Herr Liebermann, you know I'm not going to buy that kind of pig in a poke."

"The price is cheap enough, isn't it? An hour or so of her time? She can't be very busy, sitting in her cell."

"She may not want to talk about these alleged adoptions."

"Why not ask her? There are three witnesses whose testimony I know about. You can either hear it cold in the courtroom or have a preview tomorrow."

"I'm truly and honestly no that concerned."

"Then I guess we can't do business."

It took four days to work it all out. Frau Maloney would speak to Liebermann for half an hour about the matters that interested him, provided that (a) Fassler was present; (b) no fourth party was present; (c) nothing was written down; and (d) Liebermann permitted Fassler to search him for a recording device immediately prior to the interview. In return Liebermann would tell Fassler all he knew about the probable testimony of the three witnesses and give each one's age, sex, occupation, and present mental and physical condition, with particular regard to any scars, deformities, or disabilities resulting from experiences at Ravensbrück. The testimony and description of one witness would be supplied prior to the interview; those of the other two subsequent to it. Agreed and agreed.

On Wednesday morning, the 22nd, Liebermann and Fassler drove together in Fassler's silver-grey sports car to the federal prison in Düsseldorf where Frieda Maloney had been confined since her extradition from the United States in 1973. Fassler, a stout and well-groomed man in his mid-fifties, was almost pink-cheeked as usual but — when they identified themselves and signed in — hadn't yet regained his customary swaggering assurance.

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