The Incidental Spy by Libby Fischer Hellmann Read Free Book Online

stammered.
    “Good. We have Max. He’s fine. And we want to bring him back.”
    “Thank god. Please bring him right away.”
    “We will. But we want something in return.”
    Her stomach twisted. She bit her lip. “I have no money.”
    There was a laugh on the other end of the line. A laugh! “We know. In fact, we will help you change that.”
    “What—what are you saying?”
    “We want to reimburse you for your pain and suffering. God knows you’ve had your share.”
    “How do you know that? Who are you? I want my son!”
    “You will get him. But you must agree to our proposition.”
    “What proposition?”
    “A man will be coming to your home in a few minutes. He will be wearing a policeman’s uniform. But he is not an officer. You will let him in. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, but—”
    “Once you have agreed to the proposition, Max will be returned.”
    “Tonight? You’ll bring him back tonight?”
    “Yes. We have not harmed him. And we don’t want to.”
    “What if I cannot accept the proposition? What if I refuse?”
    “That would not be a good idea, Lena. For you or Max.”
    * * *
    The man to whom Lena opened the door was unremarkable in every way. Average height, average weight, average thinning brown hair. Horn-rimmed glasses. His only distinguishing feature was a pair of oversized ears. Dressed in a cop’s uniform, he had a badge pinned to his chest. If she’d been asked to describe him later, she wouldn’t have been able to provide much.
    He deposited himself on the sofa where she’d been sitting just a few minutes earlier. She picked up the baby blanket she’d been holding to remind her of Max’s smell, and sat in the chair.
    “Is Max all right? What have you done with him?”
    He cleared his throat. “He is fine. But I only have a few minutes, Frau Stern, so here’s what we want.” He paused. “Information.” He spoke with an unmistakable accent. It was German. From the South. Probably Bavaria. Reinhard, Ursula’s husband, had a similar accent, and he was from Regensburg.
    She folded her arms. “What information?” She said in German.
    His eyes narrowed for a quick moment, and she saw in his expression that under the right circumstances he was probably capable of enormous cruelty. Despite the heat in the apartment, she shivered again. He must have realized his effect on her, because he unexpectedly bared his teeth in what she supposed was a smile.
    “Information you come by on a daily basis.” He answered in English.
    She didn’t reply at first. She was trying to process why he hadn’t answered in German. Then she cast the thought aside. If that’s what he wanted to do, what choice did she have? She wanted her son. “So you want me to spy at my job,” she said in English.
    The smile that wasn’t really a smile widened. “They said you were a quick study.”
    “Who are you working for?” She asked, although she really didn’t need to. It was clear. “You want me to spy for the Nazis?”
    He didn’t confirm it but didn’t disagree.
    “Why would I ever do that? After what you—they did to me? To my family? To my life? I’d rather die than help those—you monsters.”
    He nodded, as if he wasn’t surprised at her reaction. “I understand. But there is really only one point to consider. If you do not comply, you will never see your son again.”
    She stared at the man, then let her head sink into her hands. The tears that refused to come earlier now welled. Her life consisted of a series of events she could not control. Now there was one more.
    The fake cop cleared his throat. “Frau Stern, we do not have much time. Another police officer will arrive soon.”
    Once more she was trapped. She had to play along. She breathed in the scent of the blanket. Without Max, life was not worth living. She hoped God would forgive her. Then she scoffed at the thought. There was no God. At least for her. That was abundantly clear. She looked over, blinking through her