Nick and Ellen sat with John in his office on a conference call to Mitch and Adam in Berlin. It was eight a.m. in Washington D.C., two p.m. in Berlin.
“Go ahead Mitch, we’re all here,” John said.
“You’ve got the photo I sent you. It is a shot of Hans Schmid taken in 1945 when he was a soldier and member of the Nazi party. In this shot, he’s about twenty-five years old. His son Franz, said Hans worked as one of the SS men assigned to guard duty at Auschwitz.” Mitch continued, “The photographs that Benjamin Hoefer has in his book of himself with his father, Eli, show Hans Schmid and Eli Hoefer are the same man. Franz is two years older than Benjamin Hoefer. He was seven when he was told his father had died in the war and would not be returning home. Now we know his father Hans didn’t die, he sailed to the US and became Eli Hoefer and assumed the role of father to Benjamin.”
Nick summarized, “So Hans Schmid threw away his family and country, and faked his own death straight after the war to save himself no doubt, and somehow he knew Eli Hoefer’s story so could assume his life, what was left of it.”
“And clearly brought great shame on his neo-Nazi descendants,” Adam added.
“Precisely,” Mitch said. “I don’t know how he became acquainted with Eli in the concentration camp to know he had a son, but Adam’s working on that.”
“And it wouldn’t have been too hard to ensure Eli’s wife had died. Eli too for that matter,” Adam said.
“How devastating for Benjamin when he learns his father and mother died in the camp and all his life he’s been living with one of the men who killed them directly or by association,” Ellen said.
“If he chooses to believe it,” Mitch said. “Adam collected some original items of Eli and Yetta from Dieter, the grandson of their neighbors the Bäckers, this afternoon.”
“They’re on their way back to you now, John, for testing,” Adam said.
“Thanks Adam. So why would the Schmid family bring Eli Hoefer into the light when Dirk and his brother seem like such die-hard neo-Nazis who don’t want to be associated with a Jewish connection?” John asked.
“I don’t think they want it to come to light, which is why they’ve got Benjamin Hoefer out of the US and tried to shut down the book launches with a fear campaign. But it is about money, I assume,” Mitch said. “I imagine they wouldn’t own up to the connection with Benjamin if there wasn’t something in it for them. Eli left a huge sum in his will which will all go to Benjamin even if he turns out to not be his biological father.”
“What now Mitch?” John asked.
“Now that we know Benjamin is in real trouble, we’ll be staking out the hotel address you sent us. We’ll move in as soon as we confirm he’s there with Julian Schmid and it’s safe to go in. So Nick, Ellie, what’s your take so far on The New Aryan Order?” Mitch asked.
“The sooner we procreate the sooner we’ll be accepted,” Nick said matter-of-factly.
“Fine, I’ll give up my career to have your babies and you can support me. Happy now?” Ellen said.
“Is that really the next step?” Mitch’s voice came over the open speaker.
“It’s going to get to that probably within a month or two if today’s speech is anything to go by,” Nick said.
“We’ll have it wrapped up by then,” Ellen said confidently. “Otherwise we’ll just have to tell them we’re trying and expecting good news any minute now. Don’t worry, Mitch, we’ve got a few levels to get through first I believe.”
“When’s the next NAO session?” Mitch asked.
“Tonight, lecture two and bonding with fellow Aryans,” Ellen answered. “Lord knows what the subject will be.”
“Well glean as much as you can, socialize, talk it up, listen, look supportive, whatever it takes,” Mitch reminded them. “Despite what is going on here, I’ve a feeling there is something more sinister going on there. Anything more you can tell us, John?”
“Nothing you don’t already know.”
“No update on the candidate or his desire to be king, uh, Führer?” Mitch pushed.
“I’m taking the fifth, sorry,” John said.
“Right. Talk later then.” Mitch disconnected the call.
“Clearly not happy,” Nick said.
“Yes, he’s made that perfectly clear,” John said.