Prisoner 441

by Geoff Leather

  He hadn’t been sitting there very long when Nadine appeared walking across the small park in the long shadows of the bare trees. She looked a lot younger than he did and carried herself upright as opposed to his slight stoop of age. Bron’s heart began top beat rapidly. When should he stand? She walked towards where he was sitting without a glance left or right lost in her own thoughts. He’d practised the words carefully and with slight amusement.

  ‘Calculating,’ he said in precise German.

  Nadine stopped immediately and looked at Bron studying the face in front of her closely. A flash of recognition leapt into her face.

  ‘Oh my god, is it you Johann?’ she said stumbling towards him. He held out his arms for her to fall into.

  ‘Yes, it’s me,’ he said quietly.

  She pulled away to look at him carefully.

  ‘Oh my God, you’re alive.’ She stroked his face gently with her gloved hands. ‘Come, let’s get out of this cold. I live just over there.’

  ‘I know. That’s where I met your porter.’

  ‘How did you know where to find me?’

  ‘Long story.’

  Nadine took his arm and guided him across the road and into the building. Inside, he slowly climbed the stairs holding onto the bannister, catching his breath every now and again. Nadine opened the door to her apartment and waited as he finally made it to the top.

  ‘Too much for me these days, Nadine.’

  ‘Well, you’re here now. Please sit and let me look at you.’ She cupped her hands around his face not wishing to let go. ‘I’ll get us some coffee.’

  Soon the aroma of freshly ground beans pervaded the air and she handed him the coffee and he wrapped his fingers around the warm mug. She sat staring at him and held his hand when he put the cup down.

  ‘You first or me?’

  ‘I know what happened to you. Captain Campbell told me all about your capture and that Solomon Isaacs saved you. What actually happened after that he was a little hazy about. So, I want you to fill in the missing pieces after you were given passage to England, then I will bore you with my travels,’ he smiled that smile she remembered from the dark days of 1943.

  ‘It was a long time ago, Johann. Memories fade a little. Times change. Captain Campbell was in charge. I had no desire to remain in Germany and Solomon certainly didn’t. He blamed his parents for not trying to emigrate. They left it too late not appreciating the dire straits they were in until the opportunity passed when all the world closed their doors to the plight of the German Jews. It was Solomon’s intellect that Campbell saw and wanted. Also, his incredible recall memory helped find and capture many war criminals. I know this is not the Germany you want to hear about, but you did ask.’

  ‘I know my leaders committed huge crimes, Nadine. In fact, my time in Russia was based on Soviet retribution of the basest kind. Most of my contemporaries didn’t survive.’

  ‘When we stumbled out of the barbed wire compound at the end of our time in Auschwitz, all we wanted was to get away from the European continent and settle somewhere where the birds sang and people smiled. I know now that my own people were being persecuted and slaughtered in their millions by Stalin. Maybe you experienced that first-hand but let me continue.

  ‘I remember Captain Campbell sitting us down after we decided to go to Britain. He told us that the Anglo-Jewish community had exhausted their ability to pay for Jews settling in England and that now it was up to the Government to pay. The good thing was there was no quota system like the Americans had introduced. We were assured by Captain Campbell that our case would be dealt with on an individual basis and that being so, he had not doubt we would be accepted. He had already paved the way for Solomon to continue his studies.

  ‘On the 12 June 1946, we boarded a train to Calais in France and across the English Channel then made our way to London. I have this abiding memory of the train full of people gabbling away in different languages, German, French, Polish, Hungarian, English, Russian. It was very strange.

  ‘Captain Campbell had arranged for us to live in a small apartment near the University in Euston Road Bloomsbury London. It was like a palace to us. Privacy, a door that would close and we could lock. Three rooms, we could call our own. Solomon’s parents had one bedroom and we shared ours with Stewart. Soon life returned to normal as both Solomon’s parents got jobs and Solomon took a Government research job.

  ‘Things started to go badly wrong a few years later.’ Nadine started to cry, and Johann leaned forward to hold her hand.

  ‘I thought I had got over this, Johann. Clearly, I haven’t. I am sorry, this is meant to be a happy time.’

  ‘Look, Nadine. Let me get you something a little stronger. Do you stock brandy here? I could do with one, myself.’ Nadine pointed to the cabinet behind the settee.

  He sat down again next to her and handed one glass. Cradling his glass, he swilled the contents around the glass smelling the aroma. Nothing was said for a few moments then Johann broke the silence.

  ‘Can you tell me what happened?’

  ‘Solomon was working on highly classified research into genetics and cloning at a government research establishment in Wiltshire called Porton Down. Captain Campbell had set it all up. It was very prestigious. I only saw Solomon for long weekends when he came back to London. One day, I can’t remember the dates now, but it was early 1950s, he came home. Something was troubling him, but he wouldn’t say what. He didn’t want me to get involved. Better that I didn’t know anything so I couldn’t say anything.’

  Nadine hesitated, clearing her head. She looked at Johann.

  ‘I haven’t seen him since he was sent to prison for thirty-five years. He insisted that Stewart and I did not visit him. He wrote a long letter explaining that he felt so wretched that he’d put us through the whole mess and that there was little likelihood of any time reduction because of the gravity of the accusations and in all likelihood he’d die in prison. We should start a new life with the savings he had and try to make the best of things. He refused to see his parents, literally all visitors. I received one letter just after he had been transferred to Belmarsh High Security prison in London. He wanted to see Stewart one last time. Apparently, he was quite ill at the time but as we have heard nothing, we both assumed he had recovered.’

  ‘So, what did you do?’

  ‘Well, he had been very frugal and also received a little money from his parents’ estate. Must have been the war years. There was enough. I sold the house, with his solicitor’s cooperation and bought this flat. Invested the rest and educated Stewart, mostly with scholarships.’

  ‘You never considered divorcing and remarrying?’

  ‘Solomon wanted me to if I met someone, but no that never happened. Although the memories have faded and sometimes I have trouble imagining what he looks like. I have no feelings as a wife anymore,’ said Nadine with a slight sadness that Bron noted.

  ‘Did Stewart say anything about meeting his father?’

  ‘Just that he was sorry for doing what he thought was his duty and, in consequence, ruining our lives.’

  ‘That was all?’

  ‘That’s all. I suppose he just wanted to make sure we understood and could forgive him.’

  ‘Could you, forgive him.’

  The front door closed with a bang.

  There stood Stewart. He’d heard the latter part of the conversation. His face was thunder as he looked at Nadine then at Bron ignoring his outstretched hand and shouted

  ‘No, never, mother.’

  Chapter 57

  London

  Jonny flicked through his telephone pad and dialled the number drumming his fingers on his desk.

  ‘Inspector Rainham, please,’ he asked the switchboard, waiting nervously.

  ‘Graham, it’s Jonny Wightman. Have you got a moment? And by the way, how are you?’

  ‘Great actually. Have I got a moment? Maybe, Jonny, depends on what you want.’

  ‘Excellent, my dear
friend. Simple. A sample for DNA analysis, preferably several from each if possible.’

  ‘Whose DNA are you looking for and why?’

  ‘Two deceaseds, I’m afraid. Paternity suit question.’ He hated not telling the whole truth, but needs must be.

  ‘Big money dispute, I suppose.’

  ‘No. No money involved, at least very little, so it isn’t anything to do with big lawyers and court cases.’

  ‘Well, I glad to hear that. I know I owe you so give me the details, names, addresses, coroners, if any, undertakers. I see what I can do.’

  ‘Thanks, Graham.’

  Chapter 58

  London

  Two weeks later, Jonny was sitting in the cramped office of Alaister Simmons at Kensington Research Limited just off the High Street in Chelsea London.

  ‘Well, Jonny, most of what you gave us was unusable, but…’

  He lined up in front of Jonny, photographic images of lines of dark spots.

  ‘When the strands of DNA decay and give off light, they leave dark spots on the film. The DNA bands of a person. What make up the fingerprint are the unique patterns of bands. We are all different and unique (other than identical twins). What you now see, once the filter is exposed to the x-ray film, are the radioactive DNA sequences. This creates a banding pattern.’

  ‘Well, that’s great but what am I looking for?’ said Jonny.

  ‘Here,’ said Alaister pointing to the sequences. ‘These STRs match here, here, here, and in other places too.’

  ‘We have a match. These two people’s DNA show they are closely related. Father and son?’

  ‘Yep, without a doubt, my dear Jonny.’

  The revelation now did not surprise Jonny. He knew he was on to something. Now the real question arose. Who knew about this? He doubted Solomon knew. He never mentioned the pregnancy or the birth of a son. Roberta just disappeared from his life after the summer vacation. Roberta knew that Solomon was the father, but she never told anyone.

  Jonny knew now why Roberta had keep this secret. At the annual party rally held in Nuremberg in 1935, the Nazis announced new laws which institutionalized many of the racial theories prevalent in Nazi ideology. The laws excluded German Jews from Reich citizenship and prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with persons of German or related blood. Ancillary ordinances to the laws disenfranchised Jews and deprived them of most political rights.

  The consequences for Solomon, if Roberta revealed that he was the father, were dire. Punishment for race defilement for men was the death penalty and for women it was being sent to a concentration camp. Roberta would have heard from her father the implications of the new law and probably read about the situation. The propaganda press had made it plain when they quoted Hitler on the question of women breaching the Nuremberg Laws when he said, ‘having her hair shorn and being sent to a concentration camp’.

  Chapter 59

  London

  Johann Bron looked at Stewart and stood up slowly.

  ‘Perhaps I should introduce myself,’ putting out his hand again.

  ‘I know who you are, Captain Bron. Why are you here, is more to the point?’

  ‘I came to see your mother after visiting Stuart Campbell. I had no idea that your mother was alive and wanted to see her again. Is that so wrong? You seem upset.’

  ‘I am upset. Not because of you being here. The concierge told me you had a visitor and I have been listening to you from the hallway. No, I’m upset because they are releasing Dad next week. The prison thought it best that I should know first, as I was the only one on their call list.’

  ‘Oh, my god. What’s going to happen to him? Where’s he going to live?’

  ‘They wouldn’t tell me, except that he has accommodation already arranged. That’s all I know.’

  ‘Why did you shout ‘no, never, never’ when you came in. We were talking about forgiveness, Johann and I,’ reprimanded Nadine.

  ‘I need to tell you something that I never thought I’d have to. I don’t want to say anything in front of……’

  ‘Look, Stewart, the past has a way of coming up on you unawares when you least expect it, Johann, for example. I had never expected to see him again. He was so helpless when I left him. No, if there’s something to be said, let have it out in the open. Johann saved my life once a long time ago,’ said Nadine. ‘You and I wouldn’t now be here if it wasn’t for him and Solomon.’

  ‘Mother, this is very difficult for me to say. I have kept this secret for many years. Dad knew because he was responsible.’

  ‘Knew what?’

  ‘He was responsible for you not being able to have any more children. The reports from the medics after you had those tests years ago. I didn’t tell you the whole truth because Dad would have been finished if the truth were known. I know he finished his own life when he tried to stop those experiments in Porton Down, but the truth is he had done experiments on you, Mother.’

  ‘What do you mean? I don’t understand.’

  ‘I am the first human clone, Mother.’

  Stewart let the words sink in. Nadine looked uncomprehendingly at him then at Johann. There was a long silence. Stewart knelt in front of his mother and looked into her eyes.

  ‘Mother, you know Dad was a brilliant scientist. He had worked out theories long before anyone else, but he had the chance to put them into practice without the constraints of ethics and approval, apart from those Nazi’s at Auschwitz. He manipulated the system to save you but also to further his theories. I say this as a scientist not as your son, but what he did was absolutely brilliant. The only thing that went wrong was during the impregnation of the fertilised egg. He was in a hurry and I suspect and that cost you the possibility of bearing more children.’

  ‘You mean, he experimented on Nadine just as they would have done,’ said Bron, aghast at what he’d heard.

  ‘You could say that. Yes.’

  ‘But….’ Nadine stopped and held Stewart’s hand.

  ‘I know, Mother, but in doing so, he saved your life as well. You would have been dead by now if he hadn’t come up with a story of perpetuating the Aryan race by perfecting artificial insemination procedures using the highest echelons of the Nazi regime as providers.’

  ‘Why then are you so set against forgiveness, Stewart?’

  ‘Because of this.’

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out two sheets of paper. I don’t feel real. My DNA is an exact fit. Look. I’ve known for a long time and when he asked to see him in Belmarsh, I confronted him. He told me the truth of what happened in Block 10. I feel that part of me is a dead woman’s ova, part of me is your nourishment and part his sperm. All mixed up. Can you understand?’

  Stewart wept in his mother’s arms. A grown man with grey flecks spouting from his black hair resting on her lap, shaking gently seeking comfort from the only one who could give it to him. Johann Bron remained impassive. His thoughts milling around looking for a home to comfort him as well. Too many to put in boxes on their own, Roberta, his wife, Schatzi, Nadine and now Stewart. Was their one link to tie them all together and let him rest?

  ‘Johann, you know where the kitchen is, can you put on the coffee machine for us all? Oh, and get the brandy bottle for the second cupboard on the left, top shelf. We could all do with something.’

  Little was said as they drank coffee and sipped brandy, finally, Bron leaned forward and touched Stewart on the arm.

  ‘Forgive me for asking but can I see those DNA profiles, Stewart. I never seen one before.’ He studied them closely including the name of the company that did the profiling. Stewart had obviously tried to keep this matter private away from his life at Cambridge.

  As Bron looked at them, a strange thought flew in and out of his unconscious, so quickly it didn’t register until after he had returned to the hotel that night.

  Talk of the consequences of Solomon Isaacs’ imminent release he would leave for another time.

  Chapter 60 />
  London

  The next morning, Bron dialled the number.

  ‘Professor Isaacs, please.’

  ‘Who shall I say is calling?’

  ‘Stewart, I need your help. Are you willing to give me a rundown on how to obtain samples for DNA analysis?’

  ‘What are you up to?’

  ‘Please. I will tell you when I think you need to know. Please trust me, Stewart. You know I’d do nothing to hurt Nadine or you. Enough hurt has already been done. I just need finality on something.’

  Professor Stewart ran Johann Bron through the procedure. Bron kept asking him to slow down as he wrote furiously on the hotel note pad.

  ‘One more thing, Stewart. Can you authorise me to look at your DNA results?’

  Johann Bron took a taxi to Chelsea. He uncrumpled the note paper from the hotel and looked at the address. It was an unassuming office beyond the glass partition, Bron could see several lab technicians coming and going. He waited patiently as the receptionist paged Alaister Simmons.

  ‘Hello, my name is Simmons,’ Alaister held out his hand.

  ‘Johann Bron,’ as he shook the outstretched hand.

  ‘Please, follow me.’

  They sat at a clear glass topped desk with a carefully stacked in-tray containing one file. Alaister ordered coffee.

  ‘Well, what can I do for you?’