Pavel Kohout - The Widow Killer

Thus inspired and emboldened, Buback stepped out and over the imaginary river.

“Gentlemen, you may think I’m a coward betraying his own people out of fear, but I’d rather you believe that than prolong this war any longer and multiply its victims. Anyway, you, Mr. Morava, said you were betting there were Germans who would try to stop the worst from happening.”

“That’s right,” the young Czech affirmed.

Buback reeled off Meckerle’s information almost word for word. As he did so he felt his tension slacken, and as he finished, a feeling of calm settled on him. It was behind him, and he was past it. For the first time in years — maybe for the first time in his life — he was at peace, as both a German and a human, because he had suppressed his Germanity for humanity’s sake.

Both older men exchanged a long glance.

“I’ll inform the council immediately,” the second said and thereupon vanished.

“We’re very grateful to you, Mr. Buback,” Beran said, “and personally I think it took great courage. Will you stay in contact with us?”

“I’ll try. My assignment to cooperate with Mr. Morava is still in force. Of course, it’s linked with another task: ascertaining the plans of the Czech police.”

“I can’t imagine you discovered much.”

He decided to be forthright.

“No, not much.”

“I simplified your job by not telling Mr. Morava.”

Buback felt glad that at least he’d been right about the kid.

“I did not go to the funeral of Mr. Morava’s wife,” he said, “because today my participation would have seemed inappropriate in the extreme. However, his behavior and hers as well contributed to a change in my views, and led my companion and me to try to redeem at least some small part of Germany’s guilt. I’d like to continue, as long as a higher power doesn’t interfere to prevent it.”

“Herr Oberkriminalrat…,” Beran said, weighing every word, “risk for risk. I’ll give you a pass to confirm your cooperation with us in the investigation. We’ll be grateful for any further news. What can we do for you?”

He had understood Grete’s “give-and-take.”

“How about assistance for someone else who helped you at great personal risk?”

“You mean Mrs. Baumann?”

“Yes. Her theater has gone to American territory, but she refused to leave — on my account. At the moment she’s in my apartment in the neighborhood they call Little Berlin. I’m afraid what might happen to her there once emotions start to run high.”

“I’d be worried too.” Beran nodded glumly. “And we’re certainly in her debt. You can take her in our car, if you can manage your own people on the way. But where will you go?”

“That I don’t know,” Buback confessed. “Our homes and families are gone.”

He realized he was asking them for the impossible. Grete and he, like all Germans, were at the mercy of fate.

The superintendent seemed to feel the same way. At a loss for words, he glanced over at his adjutant.

The young man drew a key from his pocket.

“She’ll recognize it,” he told Buback. “It’s the key to the house. I don’t know if she can stand the idea; I moved out rather than go back. If she can, then take her there. And stay there yourself, if you like. The owners won’t come back till the front’s passed through; until then, only the two of us will know you’re there. And we’ll keep looking for a way out.”

Buback was deeply moved. How would he have acted if their roles were reversed, he wondered. The only proper way to thank them, he felt, was to reveal his final lie.

“Gentlemen, I have a secret advantage over you; it’s the reason I was put here. But your generosity compels me to give it up.” Then, finally, he broke into their common native tongue. “Umím esky — I speak Czech. Please forgive me!“

The commissioner’s office was just around the corner, so Beran, Brunát, and Morava walked over, but at times it was more like elbowing through a crowd. Bartolom jská Street was swarming with officers, all hurrying to and fro and saluting the two police chiefs. Morava kept shaking his head until the superintendent asked him why.

“All those cops running off at the mouth with Buback around ”

“Whatever he heard, he heard. In the end he did what he did. Maybe hearing those rumors helped.”

“The whole time he was deceiving us ”

“A military stratagem. And beautifully executed, I have to admit. I never even suspected.”

“Except you made sure I didn’t know anything.”

“Except for that,” Beran conceded with a smile.

Then they plunged into the corner building. The secretary transmitted their request for an interview. They waited silently for a few minutes; this was Rajner’s way of demonstrating his rank. Once admitted, they greeted him respectfully, took their seats, and were asked the reason for the audience. Only then did Beran request that the police commissioner formally step down.

Everything went so tactfully and the superintendent phrased his request so politely that at first Rajner completely missed its significance. Once he had heard it for the second time, his forehead broke out in sweat.

“Who… whom did… what were you…,” he stammered.

Morava knew the others had caught that whiff of fear as well.

“I’m authorized by the Czech National Council,” Beran explained to him matter-of-factly. “Brunát and I have been temporarily named to your post, with the responsibilities divided between us.”

Rajner tried to object.

“I don’t even know this council of yours!”

“It’s a new organ appointed by the legal government of the reconstituted Czechoslovak Republic — which you once swore allegiance to.”

“And the Germans… Did they agree to this?”

“When they learn about it, they’ll probably welcome it. At least they’ll have someone to negotiate a capitulation with.”

“But gentlemen…” Rajner’s voice almost cracked into a falsetto. “They have a huge advantage in numbers and strength! They’ll turn Prague to dust and ashes; is that what you want?”

“Actually,” Brunát said, stepping into the fray, “that’s what we’re trying to prevent. First of all, we can offer them an orderly retreat from the city. We’ll make sure they’re not attacked, and that it’s not attractive for them to attack. But just in case, we’ve taken measures. So you’d better get over to the interim internment wing, where we’ll be keeping collaborators until the courts can get to them.”

The door flew open and Rajner’s secretary ran in.

“Mr. Commissioner, sir! Turn on the radio!”

She did not notice the mood in the room at all and ran around the table to turn on the huge superheterodyne herself. The magic green eye was soon fully open and an excited voice filled the room, accompanied by distant gunfire.

“.. are murdering our people! I repeat: We call on the Czech police and all former soldiers, come immediately to the aid of the Czech radio; the Germans here are murdering our people! I repeat…”

“Morava!” Beran bellowed. “Captain Sucharda’s team is waiting at the garage. Go with them; you can translate and serve as my representative. Try for a truce, but first and foremost save those people and the studios. We won’t get all the city loudspeakers working; we’ll have to blanket Bohemia with our broadcasts. And Morava!” he called after him through the door. “Have them form up and send out more teams. If there aren’t enough cars, they can commandeer trams!”