A Murder in Auschwitz (38 page)

“But that’s what they said last time and we didn’t have to go,” said Greta.

“I know,” he acknowledged. “Klara, I will get the cases and pack our clothes.” But she did not say anything as the tears ran down her cheeks.

Meyer went through the same motions that he had the last time the SS had tried to remove them. He pulled the suitcases from the top of the wardrobe and from under the bed, filled the two largest with his and Klara’s clothes and shared the remainder of the money that they had, along with Klara’s jewellery, through the four bags. He then took the two smaller suitcases through to the girls’ room and filled each one with the clothes which Klara had looked out, while Klara returned to their own bedroom to get dressed.

Meyer made sure that Anna and Greta had their warm jackets buttoned up and hats on. “Okay, my girls, take a case each and wait here while I get Mummy.” He returned to their bedroom had Klara was dressed and was now quickly checking through the contents of the suitcases.

“Two minutes!” came the shout from the landing.

“We need to go now, Klara,” said Meyer, taking her in his arms. “I love you.”

“I love you too, darling,” she said, and wiped the tears from her face.

He picked up both suitcases, and Klara followed him out of the room, collecting Anna and Greta as they passed their bedroom. At the front door, Mahler and Abel led them down the stairwell into the street, where a truck was waiting. As they passed her door, Meyer could see Frau Fischer peering out through the crack.

“Into the back of the truck,” ordered Mahler. Meyer lifted first Anna, then Greta into the rear of the vehicle, passed them the luggage, then helped Klara climb in. Just before he stepped up onto the rear bumper, Meyer looked down the quiet, abandoned street.

“He isn’t coming this time,” said Abel, his hands deep inside his pockets. “It was I who signed the previous warrant and it is my name on this one too. But there will be no Kriminaldirektor Deschler to countermand this order and stop your relocation.”

Meyer felt the sweat on his palms go cold, as if ice was forming across his hands. “Is he dead?”

“Yes. We shot him yesterday for treason.”

The truck drove through the dark streets of Berlin, with Meyer and his family near the front, seated on wooden benches which faced each other, the four soldiers at the rear, barring the way out. Meyer asked the soldiers how long they would be driving for and where they were going, but they ignored his questions.

The drive lasted for two hours. First of all, Meyer noticed the buildings changing as they left the centre of the city, passing more industrial areas and then the two storey homes on the outskirts of the city. In the end, they drove through a mix of farmland and semi-rural buildings, then the smaller towns which sat on the edge of the capital.

Some of the roads were very rough and Meyer had to hold onto Anna, and Klara onto Greta, to stop them from falling from the benches. The soldiers were obviously used to the bumpy ride and propped themselves back against the sides of the truck by pushing with their boots against the benches in front.

The soldiers never spoke during the whole journey, and both Anna and Greta fell asleep for a short while. Klara and Meyer exchanged glances as the morning light spilled in through the open canvas at the rear, but it broke Meyer’s heart, as her face was full of sadness. Klara’s eyes closed and she slept for a while. Meyer felt his own droop and an uneasy sleep invade his consciousness.

Sometimes, the truck would stop and Meyer would think that they would be told to get off, but soon the truck would shudder and the gears would grind as it lumbered back into motion once again. He would try to see out the back, past the soldiers to ascertain the reason for the stop, but he could never see anything except either the inky blackness of the night or, as the morning light grew, an empty road disappearing into the distance.

Eventually, the truck stopped and the engine was cut, the vehicle shaking itself into silence. Immediately, the soldiers jumped from the back and shouted at Meyer and his family to get out. Meyer jumped from the truck and lifted down the cases which the girls and Klara passed to him before he helped them down one at a time.

“What is that buzzing noise, Papa?” asked Anna as Meyer held out his arms. “It sounds like bees.”

Meyer had not noticed it at first and looked behind him, but he could only see the road which they had just travelled down. Then he saw Klara’s face. She was looking beyond the truck, a case in one hand and Greta’s hand in the other.

“Manfred,” she whispered.

Meyer lifted Anna down from the truck, picked up his case and followed his daughter to stand beside her mother. The buzzing was not bees, it was people.

Beyond the truck stood hundreds of people, all carrying cases, all waiting in the beautiful dawn sunshine.

Auschwitz, 10th February 1944

SCHARFUHRER Fuchs sat at a trestle table in the large office which was to house the court martial. His uniform was immaculate, and his cap sat to one side of his papers on the table-top. Beside him was the empty chair where Kolb would sit as Fuchs attempted to prove his innocence to the three officers who made up the judging panel. At another trestle table to Fuchs’ right sat Untersturmfuhrer Ahler; the prosecution.

Fuchs watched as Ahler sat, reading through his papers. Fuchs was certain of the facts that his opponent would present, the story that he would tell. Yet Ahler, who would be presenting a case which had been compiled for him, Fuchs had actually helped create the defence which he would present. He had sat with Kolb in his cell and made notes from the questions which Meyer had asked, assisted in the building and discovery of the events of that night, and worked with Meyer and Kolb to formulate the defence which would be presented in an attempt to save Kolb’s life. And grant Meyer his wish.

Fuchs mused over his reluctant admiration for Meyer. Without him, Fuchs would of course have been able to put together a defence with Kolb, although he was unsure on what it would have been focused. He certainly would not have been able to build the defence which he now possessed, based on the events which Meyer had managed to unravel.

Kolb had been correct in his pursuance of Meyer as an advisor. Fuchs had initially thought that Kolb was taking too great a risk on the Jew. He knew that Kolb had suffered beatings from Kramer because of it and was sure that Obersturmbannfuhrer Liebehenschel had been furious at the suggestion. That in itself could have seen Kolb shot.

But Meyer had an uncanny ability to extract the truth from someone, to listen to the various stories, part-truths, and lies and build from that a linear sequence of events which would sit as a skeleton for the defence arguments. He then managed to add the flesh to the bones. Find what was missing and add it to the skeleton. He could see where the prosecution would pick away and would reinforce that area with evidence or argument. Meyer was indeed a talented lawyer. If it was not for Manfred Meyer, then this court martial would be purely an exercise in the procedure of military courts, and Kolb would be preparing himself for the firing squad.

However, now there was a chance. A real chance that his innocence could be proven. It was a possibility that Kolb may face further charges once this court martial had concluded, but these would be much lesser and, in times such as these, would most likely be dropped altogether.

Fuchs also thought through the revelations which Meyer had presented to him over the past week. Hauptscharfuhrer Kolb was not the man that Fuchs had thought he was. Kolb was a criminal. He had been one before the war and had continued his illegal activities here in the camp. Meyer had overturned the lies which Kolb had used as a cloak. He had given Fuchs answers to questions which he had not even asked. Which he had never thought to ask. Kolb was a criminal; a blackmailer and a murderer. A liar and a thief. And it had taken a prisoner to unwrap the threads of falsehoods and untruths so that Fuchs could see the real man underneath.

Nevertheless, Kolb was innocent of this crime. Meyer had made it clear that Kolb did not murder Sturmbannfuhrer Straus. Fuchs knew it was important that he keep that in the forefront of his mind during the tribunal; he should not doubt Kolb’s innocence while presenting the defence. Meyer had been very clear about this; no matter what feelings Fuchs may have about Kolb, no matter what crimes Kolb may actually be guilty of, he was not guilty of this one and should be defended as such.

And Meyer’s reward for his role in securing an innocent verdict for Kolb was not so different from what he would have experienced before the war. It would have been a healthy fee. Something to spend on his family. The only difference being that back then, Meyer would have been paid no matter the verdict, innocent or guilty. Now, he would only be rewarded if an innocent verdict was passed. A reward that would be fleeting.

Fuchs was not sure how long Meyer would be allowed to spend with his wife. He was not sure where or when it would take place. But if Kolb survived the court martial then Meyer would have earned every second he was permitted to be with her.

Behind Fuchs sat around a dozen officers. Some were men who were off-duty who and chosen today’s tribunal as the entertainment for that day while others had a genuine interest in the proceedings.

Fuchs checked his watch against the clock on the wall. His watch was two minutes faster than the hands of the clock. Cigarette smoke danced like a ghost in the winter light which fought its way through the grimy windows at the side of the office, while the slow tick from the wall clock interrupted the expectant silence that filled the room.

The serenity of the room was broken by the opening of the door to the office. The three officers who made up the judging panel entered, brushing the tobacco smoke from the air. Liebehenschel, Kramer and Obersturmführer Wilhelm Bayer from the Legal Office, took their seats behind the top table. They were followed by an officer who took his place at a single desk to one side, opening a notepad to take the minutes of the hearing.

After a brief conversation between the members of the panel, Kramer ordered that Kolb should be brought into the room. Fuchs watched as Kolb was marched into the office by an SS guard. He stopped in front of the panel and gave a salute, before taking his place beside Fuchs at the trestle table, with the guard standing directly behind him.

Obersturmbannfuhrer Liebehenschel invited Untersturmfuhrer Ahler to read the charges and make the case against Kolb. Ahler stood, and adjusted his spectacles before reading from the charge sheet.

“SS-Hauptscharfuhrer Wolfgang Kolb, you are charged with the murder of SS-Sturmbannfuhrer Paul Straus, a fellow member of the Schutzstaffel and officer of the Third Reich. This charge is brought against you at this court martial on the tenth of February nineteen-forty-four by myself, the accusing officer, SS-Untersturmfuhrer Reinhard Ahler, presided over by the judging panel, chaired by SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Arthur Liebehenschel, and assisted by SS-Obersturmführer Wilhelm Bayer and SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Josef Kramer.

“Hauptscharfuhrer Kolb, on the evening of the third of February at approximately seven o’clock, you left your barrack room and made your way to Sturmbannfuhrer Straus’ office. On arrival, you took possession of Sturmbannfuhrer Straus’ side-arm, with which you shot him.

“The sound of this gunshot was witnessed by two perimeter guards who were within twenty metres of Sturmbannfuhrer Straus’ office, which they immediately entered. On entering the office they found you standing in front of Sturmbannfuhrer Straus’ body, his pistol in your hand and smoke and cordite from the gunshot in the air.

“You were the only person in the office. You had the murder weapon in your hand. Do you refute these charges?”

Kolb stood up from his chair. “Yes, Herr Untersturmfuhrer, I refute these charges.”

“Do you have a representative who will conduct your response to the charges?” asked Ahler.

“Yes, Herr Untersturmfuhrer, Scharfuhrer Fuchs will represent me,” Kolb replied, and retook his seat.

The three members of the panel looked in Fuchs’ direction. He took a deep breath before standing. “I would like to ask Hauptscharfuhrer Kolb to take the witness chair, please.”

Kolb made his way to the chair which sat between the trestle tables and sat down. Fuchs stood, looking down at the list which he had made of the events on the night of the murder.

“Hauptscharfuhrer Kolb, can you tell me at what time you left your barrack room to visit Sturmbannfuhrer Straus?”

Kolb cleared his throat before replying. “Yes, it was just before seven.”

“Did you have an appointment with Sturmbannfuhrer Straus?”

Kolb shifted in his chair. This was going to be the most difficult part of the defence. Meyer had indicated to Fuchs that it was important to get it out in the open as soon as possible, to give the panel time to get used to the crime which Kolb had actually committed, which they needed to know about in order to shift the blame onto Ritter.

“It was an informal appointment, I suppose you could say,” replied Kolb.

“Can you explain further, please? Was Sturmbannfuhrer Straus expecting you?” asked Fuchs.

“Yes, he was expecting me.”

“And what was the business you had with Sturmbannfuhrer Straus?”