“Why should I show you my papers?” asked a nervous young voice. “I haven’t done anything.”

“Police. You see the badge? Let’s go, show your ID.”

“I don’t have it on me.”

“Of course not! Where are you heading?”

“I’m heading … to Aachen.”

“What’s your name? Out with it! Just don’t lie. I’m warning you!”

“My name is Leo Cohn.”

“Of course! What are you doing here on this train? Well, little Jew boy? Out with it! Or do you expect me to have to beg for half an hour?”

“My father was arrested and…”

“Serves him right. What’s in your backpack? Money? To smuggle it across the border, right?”

“No. You can look for yourself. All I have is a suit and some underwear.”

“You bet I’ll have a look! And woe to you if you’ve deceived me. So now, let’s go.”

“But…” Silbermann heard the boy swallow.

“Let’s go, boy, get a move on,” said the voice of the portly man.

“Am I going to be sent to a concentration camp?” asked the boy.

“We’ll have to see about all that. Come on, Cohn, forward march, Cohn.”

“But I haven’t done anything…”

“Are you trying to play one of your little Jew-tricks on me? You can still manage that, eh? Come on, I’m not going to eat you, you little garlic-head … come on, hop to it.”

The steps faded. Silbermann opened the door and just managed to see the stout man pushing the dark-haired boy he had noticed earlier around the corner into the next corridor.

SIX

The headlamps cut a large swath of white light through the darkness, and the forest, which reached right up to the road, seemed full of shadows. Trees suddenly loomed tall, then merged with the darkness and disappeared.

Franz was driving at near maximum speed. He was nervous and agitated. I definitely have to be back within the hour, he thought. This is the first time I’ve taken the car on my own and it’s going to be the last time, too. I’ve never even had Gertrud out for a spin. But a thousand marks … a thousand marks!

A car came from the other direction and he quickly lowered his beam.