Adam hailed a taxi out the front of the hotel and motioned to Mitch who was walking up and down the sidewalk talking on his phone to John.
Adam gave the driver the address for Franz Schmid’s residence in Panke. Mitch finished his call and hung up.
“All okay?” Adam asked.
Mitch nodded. “John’s just had a sighting of Julian called in by one of the local police here.” Mitch was choosing his words carefully, not knowing if the driver spoke English. Dressed in jeans and pullovers, Mitch and Adam could have been tourists or men here on business and he didn’t want to give the impression of being anything more threatening.
“Where?” Adam asked.
“It’s a rented apartment; he’s sending through the address and has asked for local back-up to keep watch. I don’t think we’re going to get anything from Franz unless he’s heard from his sons, Dirk and Thorsten.”
“We can gauge whether he knows what his sons are up to back in the US,” Adam said.
“And what he can tell us about his own father—Hans wasn’t it?” Mitch asked.
Adam nodded. “But his father died when Franz was seven, so we may not turn up much there but where he served during the war.”
“I wonder if Hans knew Eli,” Mitch said. “That would be an interesting connection—Dirk and Thorsten’s grandfather knowing Benjamin’s father. They would have been of similar age and served at the same time.” He gazed out the window, thinking. “Nice area, some beautiful old buildings.”
“It’s a very old part of the city, upper middle class,” Adam said.
The taxi turned off a main road, went down a wide street with trees and parked down the middle of the road. Older, wall-to-wall-styled apartments lined both sides of the street. They pulled up in front of a six-story white building with ornate trimming around every level and window.
As Adam took charge of Mitch’s credit card and paid, Mitch glanced up at the third floor and cast an eye along the windows. All had their curtains drawn.
Mitch thanked the driver and stepped out. Adam followed.
“Third floor, unit two,” Adam said, looking at the panel on the ground floor. He pressed the unit bell.
The voice of an aged man answered in German. Adam replied and the door buzzed open.
“What did you say?” Mitch asked.
“We were visiting from the US and had just met Dirk and Thorsten. That was it, he opened up.”
The two men entered the foyer. A dark timber staircase led upstairs and large windows streamed light into the building. They took the staircase to the third floor, found the unit and before Adam could knock the door was opened.
Adam introduced himself and Mitch. He asked if Franz spoke English and he shook his head. The older man seemed keen for the company. He offered tea and they accepted.
“He doesn’t speak English,” Adam said as Franz went to make tea.
“No problem,” Mitch said to Adam, “I’ll just observe. Ask him if he has a photo of his father, Hans, if you can work it in. Also when was the last time he heard from Julian, plus why he hasn’t moved to the States with Dirk and Thorsten and …”
“Yeah, I get it.” Adam rolled his eyes.
“Sorry.”
“I know this is hard for you because you’re not able to control the situation, but you can watch his reactions when I drop names and see if they’re genuine.”
“Yes sir,” Mitch said.
“Now that sounds good,” Adam stirred him.
Mitch rose to help Franz as he re-entered with a tray of tea. He allowed Mitch to take it from him and pour as the two men talked in German. Mitch’s eyes subtly scanned the room, and the faces in the framed photos along the ledges. He returned his attentions to Franz as he heard Adam mention Dirk and Thorsten. Franz seemed genuinely proud, his chest swelled and he glanced towards the photos of the boys as young men.
The conversation continued for another five minutes and then Franz rose, went to a cabinet and pulled out a shoe box. He sat back down and opened it, then sorted through the faded old photos. He pulled one out triumphantly and handed it to Adam.
“Mein vater,” Franz pronounced.
Adam nodded. “Danke,” he said taking the photo. He frowned and then smiled at Franz. He handed the photo to Mitch while telling Franz his father Hans was a most distinguished officer. Franz nodded proudly.
Mitch’s eyes widened and then he made his expression neutral. He wanted to copy the photo and looked quickly to Adam who read his signal.
Then Adam mentioned the name Julian, and Franz smiled. He pulled out another photo of the same man he had called father with another young man. He spoke in German.
Adam handed the photo to Mitch and translated. “That is Franz’s father Hans again, with Hans’ brother, Herman. That would be Franz’s uncle.”
Then Franz explained Julian Schmid was Herman’s grandson. Adam smiled and explained to Mitch. “So Julian is Franz’s nephew and Dirk and Thorsten’s cousin.”
Adam informed Franz that they must take their leave but asked if he could trouble him for a glass of water.
“Natürlich,” he responded and rose to get a glass.
“Unbelievable,” Mitch whispered as he took a photo of the two old photographs with his iPhone. He hid the phone as Franz came back in the room.
Adam took the water with thanks, drank it quickly and they rose. Franz reached for the photographs and Mitch gave them back with a smile and a nod.
Franz saw them to the door and Adam expressed their thanks again.
The two men left the building and walked some distance before speaking.
“I can’t believe it,” Mitch said.
Adam pointed to a coffee shop where the tables out the front were empty. “We can have a coffee and talk without anyone hearing.” They crossed the road, sat and ordered a coffee.
“I know it crossed our minds but I didn’t think it was a reality,” Mitch said. “That photo of Hans Schmid—Dirk and Thorsten’s German grandfather, a Nazi elite, is Eli Hoefer. Hans Schmid is Eli Hoefer,” he said it again taking it in. “Not hard to guess why he abandoned his son Franz and the rest of his family and pretended he was Benjamin’s father.”
“To save his own skin after the war,” Adam said. “And Eli Hoefer had a brother Herman just like Betty said. Herman happens to be Julian’s grandfather.”
“Hans ‘died’ when Franz was seven, Eli was reborn… assuming the original Eli died,” Mitch sat back, his eyes narrowed as he thought. “Tell me everything that Franz said,” he directed Adam.