The Perfect Corpse

by Giles Milton

  ‘Wait here. I’ll see to the dogs. Give me five.’

  They watched his silhouette shrink as he made his way silently down the street. In his left hand he held a small container with the laced dog food.

  ‘He knows where the cages are?’

  Jack nodded.

  They waited five minutes, then another five. The street was deserted. No one was out and about. Even the house lights were extinguished. Finally they saw Tom’s silhouette coming back towards them. He jerked a thumbs-up sign.

  ‘Not a bark,’ he said. ‘And the house is all dark. They’re still away, that’s for sure. We’ll make our way round the outside. Check it out. Then Jon, you can crack the lock.’

  He handed Jack one of the flashlights. ‘Just be careful where you shine it. We’ll take the other one.’

  Perez felt for his gun then slipped his hand into his pocket.

  They left the car door unlocked and made their way down the street in silence. At the far end, two lamps cast a half-hearted glow onto the pavement. The rest of the street was pitch black.

  ‘You can get in round the back,’ said Jack in a low voice, pointing to the far side of the yard. ‘Let’s go through the hedge.’

  They pushed through a hole in the fence then made their way towards the house. It stood in a deep block of shadow.

  ‘You go round that way,’ whispered Perez, motioning with his arm. ‘We’ll take this side. Check the windows and doors.’

  Jack and Tammy made their way slowly around the eastern side of the house, taking care to tread on the grass rather than the gravel. There were four windows at raised ground level, all closed and bolted.

  ‘Mind – there’s some cables here – ’

  They stepped over the loops of ropes then turned the corner so they could check the north side of the house. Some sort of climbing shrub was growing outwards from the base of the wall, its huge flowers half-dissolved. Petals lay on the ground - thick flakes of confetti - and there was a heavy scent of perfume.

  Two more windows, rectangular and horizontal, almost at the level of the ground. They gleamed black in the darkness.

  ‘Windows for the cellar,’ said Jack in a low whisper.

  He got down on his knees and pushed at the first one.

  ‘Bolted.’

  Tammy was also on her knees, examining the second window.

  ‘Hey, come – ’

  Jack got up, made his way over to where she was crouched on the ground. He shone his flashlight very briefly onto the lock inside and then gave the window a gentle push. It opened slightly.

  Tom and Perez appeared around the corner at that very moment.

  Perez spoke in a low whisper. ‘Nothing. You?’

  ‘Look -’ Tammy pointed to the window. ‘Open.’

  Jack was lying flat on the ground, trying to squeeze his hand inside and release the catch. Finally it clicked and the window opened. The gap was just large enough to clamber inside.

  ‘Looks like there’s a two, three foot drop. I’ll go first. You, Jon, follow me. You two keep watch.’

  Jack sat down on the gravel and swung his legs inside the open window. Then he swiveled his body downwards until he could feel his feet touching the floor. He arched his spine backwards, allowing him to crank his head inside. When he was finally free of the window he pulled at the handle in order to keep it open.

  He took a step backwards as Perez’s boots swung through the window. There was the clatter of his gun against the wooden frame and he swore as he banged his head. But after performing the same contortions he was also inside.

  It was completely dark in the cellar. The only trace of light came from the moon. Jack placed his hand over the lens of the flashlight and snapped it on. Then he gradually spread his fingers in order to control the output of light.

  They found themselves in a low corridor piled high with cardboard boxes. A workbench was scattered with tools, a drill, two hammers and what looked like the working parts of an outboard motor. Jack waved Perez towards him.

  ‘Get away from the windows then I can let out more light.’

  He inched down the corridor, moving slowly towards the far end. Perez took out his gun, held it in his hand.

  ‘Keep to the side,’ he said. ‘Just in case.’

  Jack hugged the wall as he made his way to the corner. He stopped, peered around. Nothing. Again he waved his hand towards Perez, instructing him to come. As soon as he had turned the corner and was out of view of the window he released more light.

  The corridor on the north side of the house opened up into a square room with a concrete staircase in one corner. The cellar was only half-underground, for the house itself was raised four or five feet above the garden.

  Jack scanned the room. Boxes and cartons, bottles of turpentine, tins of polish. On the shelves there were loose nails, bolts, old junk. He shone his flashlight all around the room, its gleam sending shadows across the walls and catching on the glass jars and metal boxes. And then –

  ‘Look – ’

  He swung the beam down to the floor.

  ‘Look – ’

  In the corner of the room, lying in a crumpled heap, was a bundle of clothes.

  ‘Jesus – ’

  Perez paced towards it, stooped down. Jack shone light on it.

  ‘You realise what it is - ?’

  Perez nodded.

  ‘Kingston’s uniform.’

  TWENTY-FIVE

  It was late morning on the following day by the time Karin was able to return to Sonnenhof. Lunch was already being prepared, the aroma of boiled meat and cabbage hanging stagnant in the airless reception. Karin was pleased to see Frau Götte on the welcome desk. A good start.

  She gave a bright smile when she saw Karin.

  ‘D’you know what,’ she said, putting down the diary she was holding. ‘In the last twenty-four hours Frau Trautwein’s spoken of little else except your visit. She was talking about it last night. And again at breakfast this morning. I do believe everyone here knows she’s had a visitor.

  Karin smiled. ‘She was wonderful. And amazing for her age.’

  ‘Well I don’t know what magic potion you put in her coffee but we’ve rarely seen her on such good form. The way all those old memories came flooding back and the way she talked about them, I must say I had the feeling it had all happened yesterday.’

  She moved closer and dropped her voice to a whisper.

  ‘And I have to tell you that we never knew any of this. To fancy she was involved in the whole lebensborn thing. We’ve all been talking about it. The only one that doesn’t know is Sigrid. And that’s how we intend to keep it. Otherwise we’ll never hear the end.’

  Karin smiled again. ‘And that’s why I’ve come back,’ she confided. ‘You see – ’ she paused for a moment. ‘Frau Trautwein represents gold dust for the programme I’m making. I’d love to talk to her more. And – ’

  She looked up and saw Frau Götte peering over her glasses, as if she was preparing to disapprove of what she was about to hear.

  Karin was undeterred. ‘The thing is, I’d love to jog her memory a bit more. And, well, I was wondering if I could take her for a drive. Take her back to Schloss Hohenstein. Maybe if she saw it again, visited inside, everything might come back.’

  Frau Götte was silent for a moment, thinking it through. She turned her head and peered into the office, as if to check no one else had heard.

  ‘Sigrid’s not on duty today,’ she said, carefully tidying the pile of papers on the counter in front of her. ‘And we’d have to ask Frau Trautwein herself if she’d like to go for a drive.’

  She let out a little laugh.

  ‘Although I have to say, the way she’s been talking about you, I have a feeling she will.’

  She paused, still thinking.

  ‘You’d have to take one of the staff with you. She needs looking after. And she’ll need to have her lunch. And then after lunch she always has a nap. But after that – ’

>   She looked at her watch, checked the time.

  ‘D’you know what?’ She clicked the computer keyboard. ‘My shift finishes at two. Why don’t I accompany you?’

  Karin nodded.

  ‘And look who’s coming right now – ’

  Frau Trautwein appeared from the corridor while they were still standing at the welcome desk. She didn’t recognize Karin at first, but when she did her eyes visibly brightened.

  ‘Frau Trautwein?’

  Frau Götte explained what Karin had proposed and said that if she was interested in going, then she, Frau Götte, would come along too.

  ‘I’d like that very much, dear,’ said Frau Trautwein, smiling again at Karin. ‘I get out so little, see. It’s not easy at my age. I’m nearly ninety, you know.’

  ‘What I suggest,’ said Frau Götte in her most matronly voice, ‘is that you take a little walk around the gardens. I know, I know, it’s all a little tired at the moment. It’s because we’ve had no rain. Although looking at the sky today – ’ She pointed outside before turning back to them both. ‘What was I saying? Oh yes, what I suggest is you go down to the little shop, it’s just down the end of the corridor, and you can buy bread and cheese and ham. And then we’ll all meet back here at two.’

  *

  Frau Trautwein sat in the front seat while Karin drove. Frau Götte was in the back.

  The sky had been threatening rain all morning. Now it started to pour down, large drops at first that splattered onto the windscreen. But soon the wind picked up and they were hitting hard and by the time they swung onto the steep track that led to Schloss Hohenstein it was sluicing torrents. Water cascaded off the black rock, swilling grit and stones onto the track.

  Frau Trautwein had hardly spoken since they set out from Sonnenhof. Karin kept glancing at her to check she was still awake. But as they turned a corner and sighted Schloss Hohenstein she suddenly started talking.

  ‘Of course it was nothing like this when we first came. It was winter, see. We had snow. Oh gracious, we thought we were never going to make it. I mean, this part of the country always gets a lot of snow but that year was one of the worst.’

  The castle vanished into drifting mist. For more than a minute it remained obscured. And then the grey-black walls loomed slowly back into view.

  ‘Nineteen-forty-four. Seems so clear. We were in this car, see, all polished wood and leather and the driver was terribly smart and he had a peaked cap with a badge on the front. And, gracious, the snow. It must have been on this very road, somewhere round here, that he stopped and pulled the car over and put these chains onto the tyres.’

  Karin pressed lightly on the brake and brought the car to a halt. She wanted it to be exactly as Frau Trautwein remembered it.

  ‘And we were so cold. Cars in those days, they didn’t have heating like they do now. We had travelling blankets and they looked after us well but by the time we reached the castle we were in need of hot drinks.’

  Karin had started driving again as Frau Trautwein was talking and they soon reached the base of the final corkscrew that led to the castle entrance. The rain was sheeting the side of the car, flinging water against the windows. Karin was wondering how they’d get Frau Trautwein from the car to the entrance.

  ‘Ah – yes -’ Frau Trautwein lifted her hands from her lap as they swung underneath the archway and into the castle courtyard.

  ‘Look, my goodness! It hasn’t changed at all. You know I haven’t been back in all these years.’

  Karin drew the car to a halt by the main door, pulled on the handbrake and opened the door. It was noticeably colder and the peaks above were lost to the mist. Frau Trautwein was peering out through the windscreen and emitting a little girl’s laugh.

  ‘How funny to be back. Thought I never would. And after so many years. Of course I was last here in nineteen-forty-four.’

  They succeeded in getting her inside without getting wet, Karen shielding her with the umbrella. The entrance hall was warm and smelled thickly of wood smoke. A bright fire was burning in the grate. The same woman as yesterday was seated at the ticket desk. She smiled when she saw Karin, recognizing her, then raised her eyes in surprise when she noticed Frau Trautwein.

  ‘Back again,’ she said, ‘and with visitors, I see.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Well I can’t very well charge for you again,’ she said. ‘Not when you came here yesterday. So it’s just for your guests. But will – ’

  Her eyes landed on Frau Trautwein – ‘will she be able to manage the stairs. You saw how many – ’

  Karin nodded and paid for the two new tickets. As she took the change, Herr Fischer appeared.

  ‘Ah – ’ he said. And then, more significantly: ‘Ah – ’

  Karin decided to introduce Frau Trautwein to them both. She explained who she was and why they’d brought her here.

  ‘And yesterday, when you mentioned lebensborn, I just knew this was where Frau Trautwein had been. It’s the only place in Bavaria they used.’

  Herr Fischer’s head turned from Karin to Frau Trautwein then back to Karin.

  ‘We can take it nice and slow. And if Frau – ’

  ‘Trautwein – ’

  ‘If Frau Trautwein is up to it, I’ll lead you to parts not usually open to the public.’

  Frau Trautwein didn’t seem to hear. She was looking around the entrance hall, remembering how it had been back then.

  ‘A guard was stood right here,’ she said, pointing to the door. ‘And one on either side of the fire place. Ever so good looking, they were. Good Bayrisch types. And the fire was burning, just like today. We were ever so cold, see, and there was so much snow all around. They took us into the kitchens for hot drinks.’

  Herr Fischer looked at Karin. ‘Shall we go there now?’

  He led them through a double door and down a poorly-lit corridor. The floor was partly tiled, partly flagstones.

  ‘Do watch your step. It’s rather uneven, I’m afraid.’

  In Sonnenhof, Frau Trautwein had walked slowly and clung to the arm that was invariably by her side. But here she held Frau Götte’s arm only lightly and gave the impression of floating along.

  ‘I don’t remember this part at all.’

  There was the faint aroma of soup, onions and fresh lovage. It grew stronger as they made their way down the corridor. The passageway opened onto an internal courtyard all dismal with wet moss. The gutter was spilling water and in one corner a large puddle was submerging the cobbles.

  ‘Drains,’ said Herr Fischer.

  There was a further twist in the passage and then they found themselves in the castle kitchens.

  ‘And just look – ’ said Frau Trautwein, looking all around her as she caught her breath. ‘Exactly as it was. A fire was burning, of course, and pots hanging from these –

  ‘And, yes, I remember Eva, or was it Anna? No, Eva. She nudged me when she saw the pans boiling away. Must have been game, venison, something like that. And you know we ate so well in those weeks and months. Three times a day, ever so punctual. They’d sound a gong. Boing. Every mealtime. They wanted us in the healthiest way, see.’

  Herr Fischer turned to Karin and whispered under his breath. ‘This’ll make a wonderful addition to our display. Don’t think we’ll be able to ignore lebensborn any longer, not after this.’

  ‘And then we were taken up to the library. Yes, I remember that much quite clearly. This was all on our first day, you understand. ’

  Karin looked at Herr Fischer. ‘Can we go there?’

  Herr Fischer turned to face Frau Trautwein.

  ‘It’ll mean climbing some stairs,’ he said in a loud voice.

  ‘I know, I know.’ She sounded irritated by the way he was speaking to her. ‘You pass through that door there – ’ She pointed to the far wall – and then you come to a staircase that leads directly to the library.’

  Herr Fischer threw a wink at Karin.

  ‘Of course there were always huge
numbers of people. Wasn’t like now. Cars constantly coming and going. Men in uniform. Generals, even. Marching boots, orders being shouted. So noisy.’

  ‘How many where you?’ Karin felt sure that now they were here, inside the castle, Frau Trautwein wouldn’t lose her memory again.

  ‘What’s that dear?’

  ‘How many girls?’

  Frau Trautwein thought for a moment.

  ‘Oh, we were, let’s see, there was me and Eva. And Anna of course. And then there was Hannah and Gertrud. Good looking girl, Gertrud. And then the two from Pomerania. And, well, we were a dozen or so in all. But it kept changing of course.’

  She looked around the library but didn’t seem to take it in.

  ‘After dinner we’d be brought here. We ate well and there was so much food. And then we’d come here for herb tea. They made it from wild flowers up on the mountains. And we’d play cards and then one of the officers came up to me and presented me with a silver charm bracelet. All on the first evening.’

  She nodded to herself as she remembered it all happening.

  ‘Of course we were all nervous about everything. We were only young girls you see. I was just eighteen. And Eva was even younger. Only sixteen. I remember we kept having to pinch ourselves to make it all seem real.’

  She paused as she sifted through her memories.

  ‘I wonder if it’s still here?’ she mused aloud.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Yes. It must be through here.’ She began walking to the far end of the hall, towards the corridor that led to the exhibition area. ‘We’d walk down this corridor and then – ’

  She pulled herself free from Frau Götte’s arm and made her way towards the door.

  ‘And then, here, you turn right. Down a few steps – and – ’

  Herr Fischer looked at the others and gave a shrug of his shoulders. He didn’t know what she was talking about. He moved ahead, pushed the door. Frau Trautwein stopped abruptly as she entered the empty room, puzzled by something. She looked up at the vaulted ceiling, the conical pillars, the polished oak floor.

  ‘This was it.’

  ‘What?’