The Girl from Guernica by Karen Robards

Author:Karen Robards
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MIRA Books
Published: 2022-07-15T01:30:16+00:00

29

“Is something wrong?” Sibi asked as Griff towed her briskly along the path toward the pond. Ruby, who was fond of sniffing every tree and clump of greenery she passed and as a result lagged as far behind as the length of the leash would allow, kept up, but with obvious reluctance.

“You familiar with the SD?” He slowed as they rounded a clump of ornamental grass higher than his head. In front of them, the pond took on a golden glint as the late-afternoon sun caught it. Beyond the pond, across the street at the far end of the park, was the seventeenth-century Sophienkirche with its baroque spire that rose majestically against the cloudless sky. Where they were, a thick canopy of branches shaded the path, and the cool, mossy scent of the pond acted as a nice counterpoint to the heat. Behind them, the big oak and the ornamental grass and a hodgepodge of other trees and plantings blocked this main section of the park from the view of the street. A quick glance confirmed it: the only people in sight were a couple in a rowboat in the middle of the pond.

“Not very.”

“The SD, the Sicherheitsdienst, is the security service. They gather intelligence for the Nazi Party. Their job is to determine who can be trusted, and who is to be considered an enemy of the state. Right now they’re investigating your father.”

She stopped dead, looking at him in alarm. “How do you know that?”

“Keep walking.” Taking her hand, he tucked it into the crook of his arm and started off again. She had, perforce, to go with him. They were alone, there was no one anywhere near, but suddenly she felt as if a thousand eyes were watching. “I collect information, remember? It’s my job to know things. Once you returned to Berlin, I wanted to make sure you were all right so I got in touch with a contact we maintain over here. He told me your father is under surveillance.”

“But why?” Fear began to percolate inside her.

“I don’t know. But they’re watching him.”

“What do you mean, they’re watching him?”

“Keeping track of who he sees, who he talks to. Searching his office when he’s not in it. Going through his files. Listening in on his telephone calls. Following him.”

She was appalled. Then something in his tone struck her. “Are you saying they’re following him now?”

“Two SD men drove past your house and were headed down the street in our direction when I hurried you out of sight. My guess is that they’d been surveilling your father. I don’t know that they would have noticed you here in the park, or even recognized you for that matter, but attracting their attention isn’t anything you want to do.”

“I have to tell Papa.”

His mouth tightened. “I thought you’d probably feel that way. I’m not going to tell you not to tell him, but it’s important that he doesn’t know that you got the information from me, or that you and I met today.

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