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Back The Hiding Game
Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. Naomi Wood
  3. Dedication page
  4. Epigraph page
  5. 1
  6. WEIMAR, 1922
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. DESSAU, 1929
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. BERLIN, 1932
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. Thank you
  62. Praise
  63. The Hiding Game
  64. Also by Naomi Wood

Charlotte’s eyes were hard on him. ‘I saw what Ernst Steiner wraps your coke in. The Republik. That was the paper, wasn’t it? All this time I’ve wondered who sold our names to them. Who sold our numbers. Because it had to have been someone inside, didn’t it? And to think all this time I thought you’d disappeared that month because of some Jewish bloodline! I thought that’s what you were hiding. Not that you’d shopped us in!’

She pushed Walter into the railing. One could see in her tense small body that, high as she was, she had a preternatural strength. I realised it wasn’t Charlotte who might go into the freezing water, but Walter.

‘Why would you do this to me?’

Tears pricked in his eyes. ‘You got Jenö.’

‘So you gave my name to the papers!’ Her face was close to his; her mouth a snarl. ‘You gave all our names to the papers! They could have arrested us! Deported us! All because you loved a man who didn’t love you back. If I pushed you off here at least I’d never have to deal with you ever again!’

The black river moved fast. How easily he might fall into the undefended water below; how easily the current would sweep him away. ‘Charlotte,’ I said, calmly but with warning: ‘Walter can’t swim.’

‘So much the better!’ Her body swayed. She moved the spit off her lips with her hand. ‘I could skin you alive, Walter König!’

I felt suddenly very sober and unwell. ‘Charlotte, please. Let him go.’

‘How long did it take you? To get all the names and count the numbers. A week? A month? Did you do it while you were picnicking with us in the woods? You know, I begged Jenö not to bring you along with us. I told him, please! Not snivelling Walter, not fawning Walter. But he insisted. I have no idea why, seeing as he never loved you. Never even liked you!’

‘It was Ernst’s idea. Don’t think I haven’t regretted it ever since. That summer with you both, it was unbearable.’

‘Oh. Ernst persuaded you to do it.’

‘I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have done it. Please believe me. Not a day goes by without me regretting what I did.’

She picked up his arm, tattooed with blue letters. ‘Get this dirty writing off your arm. Do you hear me? It is my name! It is not yours! It is my name!’ Charlotte gave Walter a final shove but her energy was gone. ‘You’ve ruined everything, Walter. It’s done! It’s done! Everything’s gone!’

34

Dessau