“I was sworn to secrecy, otherwise I would have told you my additional reasons for moving to Pszczyna,” he began. “Franz asked me to work with him in caring for resistance members and escaped inmates sheltering with his parents. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity, and I thought he might help me get you out. When I gave him your name and prisoner number, he informed me that he was already working with a young woman from Warsaw who planned to smuggle the same prisoner out of the camp.”

My next breath was suddenly shaky, almost smelling of sweat and straw from our days in the weaving shop. He had left me only to try to liberate me.

“You helped me survive,” I said at last, my voice soft. “And I don’t mean by providing information or bread.”

His eyes met mine, two azure pools beneath dark lashes, ones I had spent many nights fearing I would never see again.

After a moment he passed a hand across the stubble on his chin. “Speaking of information, since I last wrote, I discovered more news about Fritzsch’s arrest. During the investigation, a former Auschwitz guard testified to various instances of corruption he’d witnessed. I don’t know details, but his testimony and a murder charge were the reasons Fritzsch was transferred to the front lines.”

A former guard who had witnessed Fritzsch’s wickedness and viewed it as such. I knew exactly who that was. Oskar, the middle-aged officer who told me about my family. He’d seen Fritzsch whipping me almost to death without following protocol. He’d seen Fritzsch forcing me to witness a private execution in Block 11 when prisoners were to witness only public hangings. He’d seen what Fritzsch did to my family. Though he had delivered his report to Höss after Fritzsch’s transfer, that report must have led to Oskar being called to testify at the trial, then to a verdict sentencing Fritzsch to the front.

Mateusz shifted, and the bed creaked. Even though I’d told him I was hunting Fritzsch because I was concerned he’d return to Auschwitz, I detected an uncertainty that was dangerously close to suspicion. Why had I ever thought he was a stupid boy? I couldn’t let him start asking questions, so I had to assuage his fears. He needed to believe I wasn’t connected to the corruption case. I was just a girl concerned about a cruel man. I took his hand.

“When you told me Fritzsch was under a corruption investigation, it didn’t surprise me. I’d seen him treat inmates poorly, even by SS standards. That’s why he scared me.”

Mateusz placed his free hand over mine. “You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“It’s not that simple,” I murmured. “The war isn’t over yet.”

“Fritzsch is still on the front lines far from here. He can’t get to you.”