Daniel Pov Prisoner Of Night And Fog

Chapter 30

After a long day, I went home and had dinner. My cousins had just left for bed while I stayed out to read when there was a knock at the door. Who on earth would be here at this hour, at least without being invited on a Monday night? It was time for dinner. I opened the door and saw Gretchen, slightly out of breath, she must've ran here.

"What on earth are you doing here?" I questioned.
I let her in, Gretchen took a deep breath "I've got a question, it's something to do with the Post and something about my brother" she explained.
I thought what it could be, maybe he was involved in a scandal that I was working on? 

I got a straw mat and laid it down on our apartment terrace's cold stone floor. We sat down and sat on the mat; Gretchen rested her head on my chest "Care to tell me you found out?" I asked.
"Well, two or so weeks ago, when Reinhard had hit me, I had found some clippings from the Post, but my mother was looking for me, so I couldn't read what it was. Anyway, since my brother wasn't home, I went back into his room and found the clippings and could actually read them. It was in the murder column" she said.
I think I knew what she found, but I won't say anything in case I was wrong "It the numbers, most clippings dated back about two months, and my brother had circled the numbers, or most of them at least, in red ink and wrote Work Of Cell G. I had decided to check when I saw him shoot a political opponent the other night when we were going to Uncle Dolf's for dinner. Of course, my brother doesn't know I saw him do it" she said.

I was right, it was what I thought, and it made sense, from what I've seen, he seemed not to care about much, he seemed like a good recruit.

"I didn't want you to learn about Cell G in this way," I said after a while, not wanting her to really know since it's a rather gruesome matter but guess I don't need to keep as quiet about it now "It must've been an awful shock" I added.
Gretchen had stared at the street below, her eyes dull "How long have you known?" she asked.
I guess she thought I would tell her, so she may feel offended, or something like that "About a week" I said in an apologetic tone "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. My editor, Martian Gruber, swore me to silence, and it wasn't my secret to tell. We've got a source within the SA who's been slowly feeding us information. Once we've verified everything, we'll break the story" I whispered, taking her hand, turning it over, tracing the lines on her palm. "I had no idea your brother was involved. Perhaps I should have suspected."
Gretchen bowed her head "I'm sure Reinhard has been an ideal recruit. They can turn him into a killing machine with scarcely any effort" Gretchen commented.

She thought for several seconds, after a short moment I kissed her temple "Gretchen, you should stay here. You shouldn't go back to the boardinghouse." I said. She shook her head "You're living with an assassin." I pointed out "He has already beaten you with barely any provocation." I reasoned "Imagine what he would do if he knew that you've come to me tonight with this information," I said, trying to soften my voice.
"I know." she sighed, "But you said it will take some time for you and other reporters to substantiate the story about Cell G before you can print it. And I must learn what happened to my father. I can't live with these lies longer" she explained. "I leave for Herr Hitler's mountain home with Geli in the morning. I believe-- I hope-- I can learn more about him from his sister, who is the housekeeper there. Hitler's secrets are buried in the past, and if I can find out what happened in that hospital there, I will be closer to knowing what happened to my father" She stopped for a moment, probably thinking I would speak, I guess she wants to uncover what happened to her father "You must see that I have to do this. There is no other way. Not for me" she muttered.

I thought for a moment, letting her speak if she needed to "I know," I said at last.
Gretchen took me by surprise by kissing me. I wrapped my arms around her back and gently led her down. I kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, her throat, and her mouth, I drew back, shocked at what I did, I didn't mean to take it this far. Gretchen's eyes snapped open and looked at me, she also seemed a little shocked, at least she's in the same boat as me. I felt a grin on my face, mainly to hide my embarrassment.

"I'd best get you to the boarding house," I said, standing up. I offered her hand, which she took "While you're out of town, I'll try to track down the doctor who treated your father and Hitler during the war. In the letter, your father said he was a consultant from Berlin, so perhaps I'll locate him there" I said, gently tucking a strand of hair behind Gretchen's ear, looking at her hair, I smiled slightly "I don't think I told you how much I like your haircut" I whispered, admiring her hair.
Her cheeks heated up slightly "Thanks. I look quite different, don't I?" She asked in a fairly flat tone, probably to hide her embarrassment.
"No," I said, rolling the mat "You look like yourself" I muttered.
It was like she had freed herself from her past ways.

I quickly put the mat away, and we walked to her house, our hands clasped. On the streetcar, we stood next together, smiling slightly, I did keep a small eye on the drunks that were near us.
When we got off the streetcar, I kept my distance, a few paces behind, so if we are seen, people won't know we are together.

When she went into the building, I stayed at the edge of the garden to watch her enter the building and make sure she is safe. At the doorsteps she turned to me and waved to me, I wave back, even if she doesn't see it. I saw her shadow in a window, which I guessed was her room. It looked like she was looking at me, I walked off in the direction we had come.