Chapter Thirty-Seven
With a purposeful stride, she followed the streets she thought led to the station until she found it. There were even more people queued up than earlier this morning. Checking the trains was causing a backup. People were sitting on their luggage, like they had been waiting for a long time.
Compared to the crowd waiting to get on the train, the telegraph line was short. Kate composed her note to Floyd while standing in line and was ready by the time she got there.
It was a risk, but what else could she do? It was in English, so the operator might not understand it. Or, it might raise his suspicions and she’d be detained. But she couldn’t risk sending it to Floyd in Polish because he was a little rusty.
She slid her slip across the counter, biting her lip as he read it. He scratched his cheek, nodded, and tapped it out for her.
There. No matter what happened now, her backup plan had been enabled. Floyd would know the two locations they could be if they didn’t show up. And he’d know she’d found Dad. She left the counter with a light step. Until she noticed the porter who had chased her earlier. He wasn’t looking her way, so she wound her way around the other passengers, tucking herself in with a family. The mother was struggling with herding twin toddlers while holding a baby. Kate held her hands out for the baby. “Can I help?” she asked in Polish.
With a grateful smile, the woman passed her the baby and took a hand of each of the boys. Kate helped her lug their bags and the kids outside, where they found a place to camp out. It looked like they were moving, as Kate caught glimpses of lace curtains and photos tucked in with their meager clothing. Kate cooed with the baby before handing the chubby darling back to the mom. She waved at the boys and jogged back into town.
As she pulled open the door to the milk bar, she happened to look down the street and see the broad shoulders of Gustaw. Their eyes met, and Kate’s heart lunged into her throat. She held her breath as she quickly reviewed her escape routes. Then he blinked, looked away, turned around, and ambled down the street. Did he see her or didn’t he? He had to have seen her. She’d felt their gazes lock. She thought back to the day Nessa chided her for her paranoia. Not everyone is after the dresses, Kate. Maybe Gustaw, like his daughter the kitchen maid, was done. She could only pray.
She continued into the milk bar. Her dad wasn’t at the back table. No, no, no. He had to be here. Several men were bent over papers. One turned a page and Kate saw his face. Dad. He had changed tables.
“Why are you over here?” she asked him. “I about had a heart attack.” She decided not to tell him about seeing Gustaw. It would bring up more questions than she could give answers. Her guess was that Gustaw was upset about his daughter and was rebelling against Malwinka. She hoped it was that and not a trap.
“Sorry, I heard them get up and thought it was a better location. It’s near the kitchens and there must be a back door. How did it go?”
“Done. Floyd will know we’re together and where to meet us. Still no Lidka?”
He shook his head. “Want to read the paper to me? I’ve gone through it all but haven’t learned a thing.”
Kate laughed. “Sure.” She translated what she could but kept her attention on the front door should Gustaw change his mind.
By late afternoon there was still no sign of Lidka. Kate’s heart skipped a beat every time the door opened. They bought some kind of meatless cabbage stew and some yogurt and continued to wait.
“I’m beginning to think we should try to make it on our own,” Dad said. “The longer we sit, the greater the chance they will find us again.”
“Let’s give her ten more minutes.”
“Why do you think we should wait for this girl? She tricked you into coming here.”
“I think she is trying to make up for it.” Kate looked out the window. “I hope.”
Dad drummed his fingers on the table. “I still can’t figure out what they wanted with me. This whole time I thought maybe a civil war broke out and I was being kept by a remote family who didn’t know what to do with me once they had me. At the beginning they asked me lots of questions, but I was never tortured. It was as if they realized I was giving truthful answers and didn’t know anything of importance. When they found out I was an art professor, they started asking me questions about art.”
“Two of them got caught in New York for art smuggling,” Kate said. “They were traveling throughout Europe stealing things. They tried to take the Kolodenkos’ heirloom dresses from the Harmon-Craig display, and that’s when they were caught.”
“Hmm. It could be related.”
“The two families have been feuding for centuries. You got caught in the cross fire.”
“The Hatfields and the McCoys. Feuds don’t end well.”
Finally, Lidka opened the door of the milk bar. She motioned for Kate to come.
Relief washed over Kate. “She’s here. Let’s go.”
Lidka was already partway down the block. “I have friend who can get us on train after inspections. They are going through the trains all day long.” She sighed deeply. “I am surprised they did not find you here.”
Kate looked away, not wanting to tell Lidka about Gustaw in case she would want to change the plan again. Sneaking on after inspections sounded like a great idea to her.
“You give me diamond now?”
Kate nodded and started looking in her bag for her sewing kit.
Lidka produced a knife.
“Oh. That’ll work.” Kate eyed the knife with suspicion. Of course Lidka would have a knife. “You’ll need to cut into my waistband.”
“You are more clever than I gave you credit for,” Lidka said. She sidled up to Kate and, with a quick motion, cut the place Kate indicated.
Kate worked the diamond out. With a pause, she handed it to Lidka. “Thank you,” she said, hoping her words were also interpreted as, I trust you, but I don’t trust you, so please don’t make me regret giving you the only item of value I have.
With a nod, Lidka led the way back to the station. They worked their way along the outside edge, crossing the tracks ahead of the station, then sneaking back between the trains. Kate wished sunset would hurry up, but the summer sun was holding strong.
A tall, skinny man was hanging out by the train closest to the station. He stood by a pile of crates. Lidka shook his hand.
“Punia.” He dipped his head in greeting, then piled up the crates so she could climb into the open window.
Something about the way the man said Lidka’s nickname struck a memory. Kate watched the girl disappear through the window, and the memory went with it.
It was Kate’s turn next. Lidka made it look easy, the way she hopped up and was in. She must have been used to getting into places in unusual ways. Kate was used to following the rules, walking in the door with a ticket in hand. The first attempt, she came back down on the guy’s head. He grunted but gave her more of a shove the second time, sending her flailing across the rough opening and into Lidka’s arms, who then dragged her through the window. Last was Dad.
The passengers already inside looked away as if nothing unusual were happening. Since they had already been waiting for hours to go, one more inconvenience wouldn’t bother them. Especially with the cold stare Lidka gave the few who turned for a second glance. Folks slid over to make room for three more people.
The man outside raised his hand, his fingers pinching something as he nodded to them. Lidka must have slipped him the diamond when they shook hands.
As the train started to move, Lidka crashed back into an empty seat. Soon she was soundly sleeping, leaving Kate to wrestle anxiously through their plans on her own. Kate could hash things out with Dad, but the less she said the better. She didn’t want him asking too many questions. They had to find some way out of Poland, beyond Malwinka’s supporters. Surely they could cross at a remote location on the German border. Kate smiled reassuringly at her dad before she remembered he couldn’t see her. She reached for his hand instead and gave it a squeeze. While Lidka slept, Kate had to be the eyes for all of them.