Berlin, 10th February 1931
MEYER shook the snow from his hat and brushed the flakes from the shoulders of his winter coat at the entrance to Bauer & Bauer on Potsdamer Platz. It was bitterly cold outside, and he blew into his hands, then rubbed them together. He ran up the steps to the first floor where he now shared a small office with another junior lawyer, Otto Weber.
Before heading to his own office, he went to see if Deschler required assistance with any new cases. He had noticed that Deschler had almost managed to clear his desk of cases in the run up to Christmas, and he had not needed Meyer as much.
Deschler’s office door was open, and his secretary, Fraulein Hauser, sat typing at her desk. However, the door to Deschler’s room was closed.
“Herr Meyer, I am very sorry but I am afraid that Herr Deschler is not at work today,” she said with a smile. Meyer thanked her and headed for his own office. Since the beginning of the year he had been working partly as Deschler’s assistant but had also been able to complete two further cases of his own with Weber acting as his assistant, both of which he had won. In return, Meyer had assisted Weber in his first case the previous week, which Weber had also won.
“Good morning, Otto,” Meyer called, as he pulled off his scarf and hung up his coat.
Weber was already sitting at his desk, leafing through some papers. “Morning Manfred,” he replied.
Meyer was about to take his seat at his own desk, which sat
back-to-back with Weber’s, when there was a single knock on the still-open door and Friedrich Bauer’s booming voice filled the room.
“Good morning, Manfred. You look frightfully cold. Pop up to my office at nine for a nice hot cup of coffee.” Bauer did not attempt to fit his enormous frame into the tiny office and instead leaned in through the doorway. As he was about to continue on his way down the corridor he added, “Otto, I would like you to join us, if that is okay?”
“Yes, of course, Herr Bauer,” replied Weber, jumping to his feet. Bauer smiled his wide, toothy grin and then was gone.
Meyer looked at Weber. “You are not in the Imperial Army, Otto. You don’t need to jump to attention when he talks to you.”
Weber laughed. “I know. I think it may be because he looks a bit like Hindenburg.”
Meyer and Weber took their seats in the walnut hall outside Herr Bauer’s office at five minutes to nine, just as Herr Muller arrived back from his morning round of checking on each of the offices and the secretarial staff under his supervision, while distributing and picking up mail and other paperwork. He appeared outside his office with a clutch of newspapers under one arm and a handful of envelopes in his left hand, bid Meyer and Weber a good morning, then disappeared into his office.
A few moments later, his well-coiffured head appeared at the door. “Gentlemen, if you please,” he said, and disappeared again. Weber glanced at Meyer and then followed him into Muller’s office.
Muller was standing at Bauer’s door with his hand raised and ready to knock. He waited until both men were standing next to him before tapping the oak panel with his knuckles. He did not wait for an answer from the other side of the door but turned the handle and stood back to allow Meyer and Weber space to enter the office.
Herr Bauer was sitting behind his enormous desk, reading through a newspaper while puffing on his pipe. The weather had broken, and blue sky shone through the large sash and case windows, highlighting the tobacco angels which filled the room. Bauer looked up from his paper and beckoned them over to the desk. “Manfred, Otto. Do sit down.”
Meyer and Weber took their seats in the marvellously comfortable brown leather chairs facing him. Bauer leaned back in his own chair and removed the pipe from his mouth.
“Manfred, I really wanted to chat to you about a development here at Bauer & Bauer,” started the large man, before taking another large puff on his pipe. Before he could continue, there was a knock at the door and Marie, the silent coffee girl, entered, pushing a jangling trolley.
“Thank you, Marie,” boomed Bauer as she decanted coffee into three cups on his desk. She carefully placed a jug of cream, a jug of hot water, and a bowl of sugar on the desk next to the cups and turned to leave.
“Thank you, Marie,” said Meyer, as she pushed her noisy trolley towards the door. She stopped momentarily, and the tiniest of smiles crossed her face before she continued on her way out of the office.
Bauer puffed on his pipe as Meyer and Weber helped themselves to cream and sugar and started sipping their coffee. “As I was saying, Manfred, we need to discuss a development in the company. Otto, this will affect you as well.”
Bauer leaned forward, poured cream into his coffee and dropped in a single lump of brown sugar, which created a satisfying ‘plop’ sound. Then, without stirring, he took a drink which left behind cream evidence on his moustache. This, in turn was sucked away almost imperceptibly before another puff on his pipe was enjoyed.
“Manfred, sometimes becoming a lawyer is a bit like joining the clergy. It is a calling. This company, which I formed with my brother, has always had the highest standards in its abilities to defend those in need. Sometimes, those who could not pay a large fee would still be represented by the best lawyers we had. Sometimes, those who were guilty of the most terrible crimes and had difficulty obtaining representation would receive help and support from us. Bauer & Bauer was started in this vein and we have managed to continue, even through the most difficult and darkest of times.
“To me, being a defence lawyer is one of the greatest professions that exist. To help the frightened and the shamed, the bewildered and the unwary, against the might of a criminal justice system which to the layman can seem like a dragon from antiquity, surely must put us amongst the priests and doctors of this world.
“And to find a lawyer such as Herr Deschler with his ability to deconstruct a case, his turn of phrase and use of language in the courtroom was, for Bauer & Bauer, fortuitous in the extreme; so many young lawyers did not return from the front. In spite of Herr Deschler’s often harsh exterior, mostly brought about by the pain which he has endured since the war, he has in fact shown the compassion and humanity that we require in this firm.
“Unfortunately, sometimes opportunities arise which one cannot allow to pass. And one such opportunity has presented itself to Herr Deschler. He will be leaving us to take the position of prosecutor.”
Meyer could hardly believe what he was saying. Deschler was sometimes a difficult character to work with; his temper was legendary, although Meyer felt that he had never actually been subject to his full wrath. He respected him deeply, both as a lawyer and as a man.
All he could say was, “When?”
Bauer took a deep puff on his pipe and another sip of his coffee. “It is effective immediately, I am afraid, Manfred. His case load will be distributed among the other senior lawyers.
“But, Manfred, this is very important, I can see a very bright future for you here at Bauer & Bauer. I know that Herr Deschler has prepared you well for the courtroom and I can see you growing as a lawyer. I want you to take on a murder case. I will find one that will suit you.”
He then turned to Weber. “Otto, I am going to ask you to support Herr Meyer. You have been working together now on certain cases for...” Bauer lifted his head in request for an answer.
“Two months now, Herr Bauer,” said Weber.
“Yes, two months. And I am assuming that this is a working partnership which you are both happy to continue?” asked Bauer.
“Yes of course Herr Bauer,” replied Weber.
Bauer gave a laugh. “Excellent. You already sound like a lawyer firm, Meyer & Weber. Now, Otto, I am going to ask, and I don’t want you to think that I don’t believe you are commensurate in your abilities with Manfred, because he will need the support of an assistant with a keen legal mind. Will you do this for him?”
Weber nodded. “Of course, Herr Bauer.�
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The news that Deschler had left to become a prosecutor filled Meyer’s mind. Having seen Deschler at his most vociferous in the courtroom, Meyer could certainly imagine him in the role. Then it suddenly struck him that there was a possibility that they would be on opposite sides of the courtroom, and the thought of facing Deschler in that situation was terrifying.
“Manfred,” said Bauer, as his attention shifted to him. “I have been following the cases you have been involved in over the past six months or so, and I am suitably impressed by your resourcefulness, skill, and raw talent that I think that you are more than ready to lead a murder case. All new cases have to come through my desk, so I will keep an eye out for one which I think will be of interest to both yourself and Otto.”
Bauer winked at Meyer and gave both men a wide, toothy grin, which suddenly disappeared when he noticed that his pipe had stopped producing smoke. Staring forlornly into the bowl of his pipe, he said, “See! I can always tell when I have been talking too much when my pipe goes out. So gentlemen, I won’t keep you any longer. I will be in touch when a case comes my way which I want you to lead.”
Meyer and Weber both rose from their seats and left Bauer in his search for a method of lighting his pipe.
A Murder in Auschwitz (Sampler) Page 19