L'amore e la guerra - Love and war

Ch. 9

Felicia was pacing around the living room. Ludwig was two hours late.
He was never late.
Felicia hoped that he would come home and say something like "Sorry I'm late. They gave me a ton of paperwork to fill out by tomorrow!"
She was growing more and more restless. She couldn't stop her anxious pacing. She could not sit down. She glanced at the clock. If he was not home in ten minutes, she would go to the headquarters by herself to check on him.
She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she jumped a mile in the air when she heard someone knock at the door.
Trying to calm her racing heart, she went to the door hoping to see Ludwig. But why would he knock? He had the keys...
She opened the door to see a tall, dark blond man with piercing green eyes and thick eyebrows dressed in a SS uniform.
Feli was really close to freaking out. Ludwig was late and an SS soldier was at her door. That could not mean good news.
"Mrs Felicia Beilschmidt?"
Feli swallowed before anwering "Yes, that's me. You are...?"
"I'm SS Colonel Hans Reiter, ma'am. I'm your husband's superior."
Feli thought she was going to faint.
"Is Ludwig alright?" she asked, not even trying to be polite to the man, invite him inside and offer him something to drink.
Colonel Reiter looked away and coughed. He hadn't known that Beilschmidt's wife was pregnant...
Feli started shaking. She couldn't speak. She was afraid of asking him what had happened.
Reiter said "I'm afraid I have bad news. You may want to sit down."
Feli started feeling nauseous. However, she followed Colonel Reiter's advice. She went to the couch and sat there, trying to calm down.
Colonel Reiter sat down next to her. He coughed again and started speaking without looking at her.
"Captain Beilschmidt has been involved in an... accident."
Feli gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Her breath was becoming faster.
"He was found in a dark alleyway with a bullet in his stomach and a dead man in front of him." then he noticed that Feli had gone pale as a sheet.
He hastily added "Uhm, he's still alive, ma'am."
Feli couldn't believe her ears. She started crying in relief.
"Thank God, thank God for that!"
"Uhm, ma'am, I won't lie to you. He has lost a lot of blood. Things are not looking too well for him at the moment."
But Feli was just too happy. "He'll pull through, I know he will! He's strong, if you managed to get him to the hospital he will be alright! Oh, thank God! When can I see him?"
"Soon. But ma'am, I need to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?"
Feli was feeling very relieved and confident. She felt this was the best time to be answering tricky questions. Even if her answers were not similar to those that Ludwig would have given, she could still blame it on the shock.
"Of course, Colonel."
Reiter started.
"Do you know a man by the name of Heinrich Weil?"
"Not personally. Ludwig always said he couldn't get him off his back, though."
"What did he mean with that?"
"I don't know. He never talks about work with me, but I guess he meant that this Weil guy was bothering him in a way or the other."
"He was the dead body we found next to your husband."
"Oh."
"Okay, never mind. Do you think your husband had enemies?"
"I don't think so... no one in particular..."
"Why do you think Beilschmidt has ended up in such a situation?"
"I... I have no idea. I guess Weil tried to kill Ludwig and he just defended himself. That's what I think. Now, can I go to the hospital? I want to see him."
"One last thing, ma'am. A witness says that Weil asked your husband to talk to him in private about the spy that's been undermining the Party. Why do you think Weil felt that it was not safe to talk at the headquarters?"
Feli understood what he meant with that question, but decided to play dumb.
"I really don't know, Colonel. I'm not a soldier, and I don't know what kind of guy Weil was. Can I please, please go to the hospital now?"
Reiter was not satisfied with her answers. This woman had answered in a very neutral way, trying not to attract his attention on anything in particular. A woman whose husband was nearly killed would have told lots of things, maybe not very reliable, but she would have at least made one or two names... this Felicia girl instead had been very vague. He thought that maybe she didn't love her husband very much, but her reactions were so emotional... a woman that half – faints just because she thinks her husband is in trouble has to be in love.
His sixth sense was tingling. He smelled lies.
"Very well, ma'am. Come with me. I'll take you there with my car. If you could follow me..."
Feli felt uneasy. She could tell that Reiter was not buying it. But she couldn't decline his offer. She had no car, and refusing to go with him when she was obviously aching to see Ludwig would have been way too suspicious... shit.
"Uhm... okay, thank you very much. I'll get my coat."
Reiter nodded his head and went to the door. Feli followed him, hoping that this didn't end up in the mess she feared.
Once they were in the car, Reiter's attitude changed completely.
"You know what I think, ma'am?" he asked bluntly.
Feli swallowed. "I don't know, Herr Reiter."
"Well, I think that you are lying. That your beloved Ludwig is the sneak we are looking for."
Feli tried to keep her cool. She had been in tight spots before, but never in a situation where she couldn't escape. She was in a locked car with an armed men from the SS who believed her husband to be a double agent.
"I... I really... that can't..."
Reiter gave a triumphant smile. Her reaction was a dead giveaway. He went even farther.
"And you know what else, miss? I'm sure you have known all along. And that you are in fact helping him."
Feli was getting scared. "No, you're wrong! Ludwig would never..."
"No bullshit, ma'am. Now, if you confess right here, I might spare your life. If you don't, you and your kid are going to get a one – way ticket to Poland, if you know what I mean."
Feli was scared, but she managed to keep herself together. She tried to see what Reiter thought.
"And if I was to confess, what would happen to Ludwig?"
Reiter laughed. "He knew what was coming to him. If you confess, Beilschmidt will be put on trial for high treason. But I will make sure that you will not get in any trouble. That's what will happen. Think about it, ma'am. What would your husband want? Would he want you to give your life and your kid's for his? Or would he use his own to save the both of you?"
Feli was biting her nails. Ludwig would have wanted her to be safe, but knowing what would happen to him, how could she betray him? High treason trials were always the same. In a week's time Ludwig would have been executed, leaving a big gap in her heart and in the Berlin Resistance. A role that she could not fill in as well as he did. No other soldiers that she knew of would be willing to take his place after seeing what had happened to him. And besides, she had no evidence that Reiter would have kept his promise.
But on the other hand, if there was a tiny bit of hope for her and the baby, it was confessing.
Reiter looked at her straight in the eyes. He seemed to be looking right through her.
"Come on, Mrs Beilschmidt. Tell me 'I confess' and I will do what I can to keep you safe..."
"Perdonami, Ludwig..." she thought. She closed her eyes and hid her face in her hands before answering "I don't know what you are talking about, Colonel Reiter."