The Cuckoo's Song

Chapter Forty-One

Abe turned and headed for the audience seats, Hans not far behind him. The two men ignored one another as best they could, both choosing their place carefully.

Klara and Daniel were seated in the back row, Abe not really acknowledging them. He glanced up the front row, seeing Helga and Freda. Helga nodded to him and Freda tried her best not to look at him; Her eyes were fixed only on her father. Abe's heart went out to the poor girl. It must be so difficult for her.

Abe took his seat on the bench, a small argument breaking out behind him. Klara was attempting to get Hans to sit with her; he was refusing. Abe sighed in irritation as Hans walked towards him, annoyed that he also chose to sit in the front row. He couldn't help but glare at him, Hans glaring right back.

Who would be the first to speak?

"I hope you won't be causin' no more trouble after this," said Abe in a low voice. "She's gotta take things easy, and you're makin' that difficult."

"You seem worried about her spending time with me."

"Yeah, 'cause you're a fuckin' asshole," spat Abe, not noticing that Freda and Helga were watching them now. "All you do is upset her. Why can't you just back off?"

"She needs me," insisted Hans.

Abe snorted. "She ain't needed you for years. And when she did need you, you weren't there."

Hans fell quiet, suddenly defeated. "Might I sit the other side closest to Freda and Mrs Von Hart? They will need a translator if Anna speaks in English."

Abe sensed the change in him and simply nodded. He sat right back as Hans shifted past him, ensuring to focus his gaze downwards so he wasn't tempted to take another verbal swipe at him. Hans clearly didn't need to punish him any more than he was already doing to himself. Instead, Abe turned his attention to the man in the stand. Ernst Werner.

It was all Abe could do to remain seated and not run down and tear the piece of scum apart. He hated him so much... it was the same way he had felt about Keller. This man had put Anna through so many unspeakable things. He was glad he was going to be there when he was sentenced. He just hoped that Anna was all right.

*

Downstairs, Anna finally began her walk into the courtroom. She tried her best to ignore the click of cameras as she walked in, or the eyes glued to her. She focused solely on the stand, getting herself ready to be questioned.

"Anna?" called a voice across the room. She looked up.

It was Ernst.

Much to her pleasure, he looked terrible, everything about him drawn and tired. He was clearly pained to see her, his eyes wild as they followed her. She looked down, focusing on her path to the stand.

"Anna!" he called again, standing up out of his seat.

"The defendant will remain seated," said the judge, the sound of the gavel hitting the bench echoing across the room.

Ernst was wrestled back into his seat as Anna was helped up onto the stand.

Anna cleared her throat, ready to begin.

The judge leant forward. "Can you please state your name for the court."

"Anna Coleman, formally Lehman," she said clearly, her eyes now fixing on Ernst. He truly didn't look how she had expected. He was so defeated.

Keller hadn't looked that way. Tired, maybe, but never defeated.

Perhaps the fear she had in Ernst was unfounded. Perhaps she gave him credit for his leadership of that vile place when he was nothing more than a puppet being pulled about a stage. He was not as malicious as Keller. Sometimes, she wondered if he even understood all the harm he had caused her? Perhaps he was so inherently evil that everything he did was second nature. Keller liked to play with people; Ernst just liked to demolish them.